The Australian skipper has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series 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 Test matches set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors at play, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Injury History
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
