The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, not only the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
