Pat Cummins has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, not just the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the series.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
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