The pace bowler has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
