The Australian skipper has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in Perth.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations at play, not just his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a significant role. Ideally starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game 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 willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
