The Australian skipper has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief the selector has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
