The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, not only the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
