Pat Cummins has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, not only his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. With luck starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the series.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated 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 developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."
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