The Australian skipper has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the prospects of taking part.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, aside from his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
