The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in Perth.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, not just the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
