The pace bowler has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in Perth.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and felt positive about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, not only the back issue, but further aspects," he commented.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
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The Historic Rivalry
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