The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has stated that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of being involved.
"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
