The pace bowler has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, aside from his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
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 short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress 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
