The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of participating.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors around that, not just his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
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 "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. 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 adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
