Pat Cummins has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
