The pace bowler has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches kicking off on November 21 in Perth.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
