Pat Cummins has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, aside from his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
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