Australia's captain Poised for a Major Role in Ashes Series
The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors involved, not only his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route."
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