The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"We're aware that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, not just the physical problem, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
