The pace bowler has taken 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, aside from the back issue, but further aspects," he commented.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
