Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, aside from his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
