Pat Cummins has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, not just the physical problem, but additional elements," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of three Australian summers in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
