Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, not just his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
