Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches kicking off on November 21 in the WACA.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the prospects of being involved.
"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
