The Australian skipper has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
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 team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on November 21 in the WACA.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, not just the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons forcing him out of three Australian summers in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
