The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector the selector has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, 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 the prospects of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, not just the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
