The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief the selector has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
