The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"We know that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, not only his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
