Australia's captain Expected to Feature a Major Role in Ashes Series
Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, not only the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons forcing him out of three Australian summers in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
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