The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors around that, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
