The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"We're aware that time is getting short and there are permutations at play, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and stated that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
