Australia's captain Expected to Feature a Significant Contribution in Ashes Series
Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old 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 whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of participating.
"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
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The Historic Rivalry
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