Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about his chances of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
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