Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector the selector has confirmed that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the Ashes.
The selector indicated 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 be fit for the initial match.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
