Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and stated that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
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