Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
