The pace bowler has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, not only his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
