Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of being involved.
"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, aside from his injury, but further aspects," he commented.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for a short period, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
