Pat Cummins has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Perth.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations at play, aside from the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the series.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the opener.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned 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," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
