The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"We know that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not only the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. Ideally from the opening match. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
