The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in the WACA.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," he commented.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
