The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of participating.
"We know that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, not only the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
