The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not just the physical problem, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
