AUSTRALIA captain Pat Cummins has been diagnosed with a back problem, with less than three months to go before this winter’s Ashes series, it was reported today.

The 32-year-old has lumbar bone stress in his lower back, a typical fast bowler’s reaction to a high workload.

But Cricket Australia is confident Cummins will be fit for the first Test against England, which starts in Perth on November 21, even if he has had four months of inactivity before the series begins.

Quoted on cricket.com.au, Australia chairman of selectors George Bailey told reporters that team officials had a “full expectation that Pat will be right to go come that first Test.”

Bailey continued: “He’s certainly one … that has entered summers at different stages without a great amount of match balls at different times.

“He’s used one-day cricket to build up. Just given how far out we are, there’s the potential for some Shield cricket in the lead-up. There’s still options there.

“If it got to the stage where they were taken off the table, I still think that we’d be comfortable with Pat’s experience and skill level.

“There’s plenty of time left — somewhere in the 80-day range. Even if match time is limited, we’re confident in his experience and preparation.”

Cummins last played in the third Test in the West Indies in July before missing white-ball series against the same opponents and South Africa.

Australia travel to New Zealand for three Twenty20 matches in October before entertaining India in three one-day internationals and five T20 matches ahead of the Ashes.

Bailey said: “This probably slows him down from when he actually commences bowling again.

“But in terms of the gym work and getting on top of a lot of those other physical things that he likes to get on top of before big series, I’m pretty confident that’ll work out.”