The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has stated that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors involved, not just his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
