The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, not just the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
