The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"We know that the clock is ticking and various factors involved, aside from the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of three Australian summers in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
