The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector the selector has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and there are permutations at play, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
