The pace bowler has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
