The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. With luck it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
