The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations at play, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
