Pat Cummins has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, not just the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
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