The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, not only the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
