The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors involved, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
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 regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
