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The Australian selection chief Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.

There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.

Earlier indications from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in Perth.

The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of taking part.

"We know that time is getting short and various factors around that, aside from his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.

"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."

Past Concerns

The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.

He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.

He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan 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 comeback but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.

Contingency Plans

Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.

Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.

He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."

"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to take a cautious route."

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