The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, not only the physical problem, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a significant role. Ideally starting in Perth. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
