Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of taking part.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, not just the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. 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 last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
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