The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on November 21 in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a significant role. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach 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 comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
