The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared 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 around that, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
