The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors involved, aside from his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and confirmed that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
