Pat Cummins has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.
"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, aside from his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a significant role. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
