The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
