The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the prospects of taking part.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, 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 be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles 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
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
