The Australian skipper has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not only the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
