The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, not only the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. If not, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
He mentioned that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
