The pace bowler has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not just the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
