The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors involved, not just the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy 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 recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match 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, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
