Pat Cummins Poised for a Significant Contribution in Iconic Rivalry
Pat Cummins has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, not only his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
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 regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
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