The Australian skipper has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, not only the physical problem, but other factors as well," he commented.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
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