Faulkner set to return against Afghanistan

Pat Cummins' injury may turn out to be a blessing in disguise as it can pave the way for allrounder James Faulkner who hasn't featured in Australia's first three World Cup matches on account of a side strain he picked up in the final of the triangular series against England early last month.

Cummins also suffered a side strain in his team's one-wicket loss to New Zealand last week and is a doubt for the Afghanistan game on Wednesday at the WACA in Perth.

Faulkner, who is a proven match winner with both bat and ball, had a nice practice session on Monday and bowled six overs without any trouble.

"If I get through today I am available for selection," Faulkner had said prior to Monday's optional team training session.

"I bowled a couple of overs (last week and was) pretty close, the difference is the intensity of an ODI.

"I will have a solid hit out today and hopefully I recover well and be out here [at the WACA] on Wednesday afternoon.

"I was batting five or six days after the injury and they [the Aussie team management] told me to ease back on it.

"In the first two weeks I was pretty much going 100 per cent [batting] which was a good thing.

"I think I was lucky being a left-arm bowler and a right-arm batsman, it wasn't the same side when I was batting."

In the wake of the Cummins injury, Josh Hazlewood, who was left out against New Zealand, was the favourite to take the fast bowler's place but with the new development regarding Faulkner, he might be overlooked again. Faulkner washed his hands of the matter before hitting the practice session.

"I'm not too sure what they [the team management] want to go in with, that's purely up to the selectors," Faulkner said.

"All I can control is about getting back out on the park and giving myself a chance of playing again.

"The rest isn't my job and it's not for me to worry about. That's their decision at the end of the day."