The pace bowler has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.
"We're aware that time is getting short and there are permutations at play, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a significant role. With luck starting in Perth. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
