The Australian skipper has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian 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 veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, not only his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and confirmed that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
