Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, not just his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a significant role. With luck starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
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