Pat Cummins has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," he commented.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India 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 three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."
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