The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, not just his injury, but further aspects," he commented.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, 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
