Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, not only the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a significant role. With luck from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.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 "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
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