The Australian skipper has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors at play, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.
He mentioned that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern 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 building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
