The pace bowler has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.
"We're aware that time is getting short and multiple considerations at play, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
