The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, not just the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
