The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief the selector has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the squad 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.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, not only his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of three Australian summers in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
