The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.
"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations involved, not only the physical problem, but additional elements," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
