The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. With luck starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in multiple past seasons forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
