The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, not just his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. With luck starting in Perth. If not, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "pressing" 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The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
