Pat Cummins has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the prospects of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
