The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's Ashes series.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations at play, not just his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.
He mentioned that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
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The Historic Rivalry
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