The pace bowler has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman 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 India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
