The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series 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 multiple considerations around that, not only the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with recurrences in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play 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 initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
