The Australian skipper has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations involved, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a significant role. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
