The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, aside from his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule 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. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
