Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a significant role. With luck starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
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