Australia's captain Expected to Feature a Significant Contribution in Ashes Series
The pace bowler has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations at play, not just the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
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