The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"We know that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations involved, not only the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized 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 resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
