The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations involved, not just his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. How he handles 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
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
