The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations at play, not just the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
