Australia's captain Poised for a Major Role in the Ashes
The pace bowler has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector the selector has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
He has a history of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the opening match 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 willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
