The Australian skipper has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector the selector has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, aside from his injury, but further aspects," 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. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
