The Australian skipper has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
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 the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the series.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
