Australia's captain Set to Play a Major Role in Ashes Series
Pat Cummins has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that the clock is ticking and various factors involved, not only the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and confirmed that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026