The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief the selector has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations involved, not only the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. The way he swings 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."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
