The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"We know that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and stated that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
