The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's 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.
Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, not only the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a significant role. With luck it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
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 recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
