The pace bowler has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has declared that captain Pat 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 ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors involved, not only the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
