The Australian skipper has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the prospects of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
