Pat Cummins has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors at play, not just the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process 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 acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue 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 participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
