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Wet weather is threatening to ruin Australia's final days of preparation for the opening chapter of their five-Test series against England.

The most reliable of English hindrances has already forced Australia to revamp training plans, with further rain likely to limit the touring party's time in the nets before the first Ashes Test.

The 17-man squad's bowlers, with the notable exception of Mitchell Starc, hit the Edgbaston nets on Sunday alongside captain Tim Paine and predecessor Steve Smith.

The quicks, whose workloads are being carefully managed in an effort to ensure they can play as many of the five Tests as possible, were expected to bowl at each other but wet weather scuppered that idea.

There was brief respite from the rain, allowing Josh Hazlewood and his fellow pacemen to have a brief hit against net bowlers under grey skies, but the players on deck had to quickly retreat to indoor nets.

Starc is considered the most likely member of the pace battery to be squeezed out of the XI because of James Pattinson's expected return, which would leave Hazlewood and Peter Siddle scrapping over the final spot in an attack headlined by Pat Cummins.

Selectors may have little additional evidence on which to make that call.

Monday is expected to be clear but further rain is forecast for the following two days plus Thursday, when the five-Test series begins in Birmingham.

Smith, as always, was the last to finish on Sunday.

The former skipper had a marathon session after joining coach Justin Langer and batting mentor Graeme Hick in passing on plenty of pointers to his tailenders.

"It was just great to have him there when the bowlers were having a hit, just to talk to him about different things and how he thinks their bowlers are going to target us," Hazlewood said.

"He just feels he needs to hit a lot of balls to get in the right headspace and the right confidence, that certainly hasn't changed."

Sunday's session was intended to give the tailenders a batting tune up in local conditions, with Australia well aware of the value of lower-order runs in what is widely expected to be a low-scoring series.

"I think so," Hazlewood said, when asked if the bowlers' batting partnerships could decide the Ashes.

"Especially in those lower-scoring games when the wicket is doing a bit, a 20 or 30 from a tailender can be quite valuable.

"It's partnerships as well. If we're batting with a batsman, to drag that out and eke out as many runs as we can."