The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games anyway. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
