Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors around that, not only his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the contest.
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 recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
