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Australia's selection chief Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.

Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.

Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in Perth.

Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.

"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.

"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.

He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.

He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the contest.

He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" 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All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.

The selector characterized it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."

"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.

"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."

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