The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors at play, not just the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a significant role. With luck starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
