The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, not only his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
