The pace bowler has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector the selector has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a significant role. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
