The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, not just his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with recurrences in multiple past seasons leading to absences from several home seasons in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
