The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector the selector has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and there are permutations involved, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and stated that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
