Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector the selector has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"We know that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, not only the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a significant role. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
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