Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and there are permutations at play, aside from his injury, but further aspects," he commented.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
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