The pace bowler has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the series.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
