The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, not just the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
