The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in the WACA.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors involved, not only his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.
He has a history of spinal problems, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the opener.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026