The pace bowler has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, not only his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"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," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
