The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and there are permutations at play, not only the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll adjust."
Injury History
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in multiple past seasons forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know 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 opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
