Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, not only his injury, but further aspects," he commented.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the contest.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
