The pace bowler has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations involved, not just his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but admitted it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman 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 preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
