The Australian skipper has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, aside from his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
