The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, not just the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
