Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors at play, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
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 setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for a short period, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
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