The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and various factors at play, not only the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
