The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about his chances of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, not only the physical problem, but other factors as well," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
