Pat Cummins has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, not just his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
