The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, not just the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a significant role. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
