Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he's going to play a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned 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.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled 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 be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
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The Historic Rivalry
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