The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not only the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a significant role. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
