The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
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 stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation 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.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games anyway. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
