The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and there are permutations at play, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from several home seasons in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
