Pat Cummins has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, not only the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
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