The Australian skipper has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors around that, not just his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the series.
Bailey noted 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 regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear 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 participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
