The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector the selector has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches kicking off on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, aside from his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
Bailey noted that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
