Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.
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 he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
