The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns 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 final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability 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 "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
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