The pace bowler has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches set to start on the 21st of November in the WACA.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors involved, not only his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Ideally from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
