The pace bowler has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of being involved.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not just his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
