The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, not only his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Backup Options
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
