The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
