Pat Cummins has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors around that, aside from his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated 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 creating the schedule for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."
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