The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns 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 final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, not just the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Injury History
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. The way he swings 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."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
