The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on November 21 in the WACA.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the prospects of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations at play, not just his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
