Pat Cummins has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief the selector has confirmed that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of taking part.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors involved, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, 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 secure his spot for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
