Pat Cummins has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on November 21 in Western Australia.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the prospects of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," he commented.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. With luck starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
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