The pace bowler has taken 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, not just his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
