The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations involved, not only the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a major part. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
