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 confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors involved, aside from his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons forcing him out of three Australian summers in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests 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 domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
