The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations at play, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
