The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might miss the series 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 five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature 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 opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
