(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) Veteran Australian pacer Mitchel Starc has said that captain Pat Cummins remains optimistic about making a significant impact in the Ashes, as he is able to find peak form and fitness quickly despite not being cleared to resume bowling.

Cummins is set to miss the Ashes series opener in Perth on November 21 as he recovers from a lower back problem. However, Starc revealed that Cummins has been in attendance at recent training sessions in Sydney, as he maintains his core fitness leading into the summer.

"He's pretty level. He's been floating around a little bit. Pat is still in his program and has obviously got a few sets of eyes on him in his return. He's in good spirits. He's ultra positive as always. There's still some weeks to go before we get to Perth for the Test prep. We'll see where that lands. Hopefully, we'll see a lot of him through the summer and we'll see what we can do," Starc was quoted as saying by Fox Cricket.

"Playing with Pat and being close with Pat, he doesn't need much. Whether he bowls three warm-up balls and the first over of the game, he's on the money; he just knows when to switch on or how to switch on really quickly. So what it looks like for him in his prep, it's going to be certainly different to what mine feels and looks like, and that comes with experience and age," he said.

If Cummins were to be ruled out, fellow quick Scott Boland looks his most likely replacement, with the experienced trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon almost certain to feature.

"Having spent so much time with Josh [Hazlewood] and Pat and myself and Scotty (Boland), we all prepare slightly differently. We all feel like we need different things. I feel like at times I need to bowl more around preparation stuff, whether it be training or after layoffs," Starc added.

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