The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, not just his injury, but further aspects," he commented.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a significant role. With luck it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
