The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," he commented.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
