Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector the selector has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, not only his injury, but further aspects," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, 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
