Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, not only the back issue, but further aspects," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
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 resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
