Pat Cummins has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the opener.
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 limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
