The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"We know that the clock is ticking and various factors at play, not only the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Injury History
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
