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The Australian selection chief George Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.

Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in the WACA.

Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.

"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, not only the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.

"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."

Injury History

Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.

There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.

Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.

He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.

Alternative Arrangements

If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.

The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.

The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and stated that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."

"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.

"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to take a cautious route."

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