Confidence growing that Cummins will play 'major part' in Ashes

There is growing optimism among Australia's selectors that captain Pat Cummins will "play a major part" in the Ashes but there is still no decision on his availability with less than five weeks to go before the opening day of the series.

Chair of selectors George Bailey was also very confident that Cameron Green would be fully fit and available as an allrounder for the first Test after "conservative" management of his side soreness saw him ruled out of the ODI series against India and he also confirmed that Beau Webster was a lock for the first Test squad after equally careful management of his rolled ankle.

There was no update on Cummins' progression despite coach Andrew McDonald suggesting late last week that a decision would be made on Friday regarding the skipper's fitness for the first Test. Cummins then spoke on Monday and said he was "less likely than likely" to be fit for Perth and would need a minimum of four weeks of bowling to be ready.

Bailey had no further information on whether Cummins had started bowling, but suggested there were positive signs in his training progression over the past week.

"I actually have no further update on that from when I think the last time Pat spoke," Bailey told reporters in Perth on Saturday. "It's progressing. He's building up. He's optimistic about it. I think actually the more he's done over the last few days, the more optimistic he's become but I categorically don't know if he's bowled a ball.

"We know time is getting short and there's permutations around that, not just around the back, but other factors as well. It's positive. [We're] really confident that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."

Bailey confirmed that Steven Smith would captain Australia if Cummins were to be unavailable. Smith has arrived in Sydney from his home in New York and is set to play the next two Sheffield Shield games for New South Wales after missing the opening two rounds.

Bailey added he would catch up with Smith when Australia's ODI squad reaches Sydney on Friday but noted that discussions on the batting positions of Smith and Green in the Test XI would be had at a later date.

Green's withdrawal from the ODI squad after experiencing side soreness raised concerns, but Bailey said that scans had cleared of him injury and played down any worries about his availability to play as an allrounder in the first Test.

"It is minor and it's conservative, and I think this decision probably ensures that we do have enough time to make sure," Bailey said. "We put so much time and energy into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an allrounder. So for the sake of, he was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway, the way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively.

He'll keep his plan of playing Shield [round] three and Shield four. I'm not across what overs there will be in that, but the plan will remain, and that should provide pretty good time that he'd in a good place to be ready to bowl."

Green's minor injury aside, his return to bowling and the form of Marnus Labuschagne and Jake Weatherald had led to public conversation about whether Webster could be squeezed out of Australia's XI for the Ashes.

Webster has missed Tasmania's opening two Shield matches due to a rolled ankle, although he wanted to play in the second game against Western Australia. He was urged not to by Bailey who gave the strongest endorsement yet that Webster would a key part of Australia's Ashes plans.

"Last time he rolled his ankle, I think about five weeks later, he had a bit of a soft tissue injury," Bailey said. "[We] just sort of [took] Beau through the journey of let's work back from Sydney, rather than up to Perth. For the sake of one extra week, get it right, launch yourself into into Shield three.

"I think [his] allround package has been really important. He'll be in Perth. Everyone can relax."

Bailey stopped short of guaranteeing Labuschagne's return to the Test side but he had seen both his Shield centuries in person this summer and was impressed by what he watched.

"I thought out of everything that he's played, I really liked the innings in Adelaide," Bailey said. "I liked the intent, I liked the movement, liked the way he built the partnerships. It's a nice bowling attack South Australia have got, so he's batting nicely. We know he's a quality player. We know there's a hell of a lot of class there.

"To see him putting the runs up that has been really pleasing. And long may it continue."

Bailey noted Weatherald's match-winning innings of 94 on a difficult surface in Hobart as another sign of his quality. He also thought there were positive signs in Sam Konstas' 53 against Victoria on a tricky pitch at Junction Oval and added that the intense scrutiny on his domestic returns were "probably not helpful" given he's in a "learning" phase of his career.

Bailey also confirmed that Australia's squad for the last three matches of the T20I series against India was still being finalised but there was a strong possibility that Travis Head, Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott will all be released to play in the fourth Shield round.

Josh Inglis looks set to miss the entire ODI series against India after suffering a setback with his calf injury eight days ago as he ramped up his running but there is confidence he will be fit for the entire T20I series. There are no plans at this stage to send him to play Shield cricket despite being in the Ashes frame as a reserve batter and reserve wicketkeeper.

The squad for the first Test will be named in early November after the conclusion of the third round of Shield matches.