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Australia's chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.

Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.

Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in the WACA.

The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.

"We're aware that time is getting short and multiple considerations at play, not only the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.

"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."

Previous Setbacks

The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.

There is a track record of spinal problems, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.

The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.

Bailey noted that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.

Alternative Arrangements

Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.

All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.

He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."

"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.

"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."

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