The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the prospects of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations at play, not only his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. Ideally starting in Perth. If not, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
