The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors involved, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
