The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors at play, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
