The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
