The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
