The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
