Pat Cummins has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, not just his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
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