The pace bowler has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old 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 his involvement, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors involved, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
