The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in the WACA.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, aside from his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. If not, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Backup Options
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
