The wicketkeeper underwent an operation in September to repair a pinched nerve in his neck and he has only just begun light duties.

But Paine remains upbeat about his chances of leading Australia out on the Gabba to face England on December 8.

"I had a little bit of a hit on the bowling machine (on Thursday)," he told SEN.

"Tuesday next week is pretty much the six-week mark (since surgery), where I can start to look up, which is obviously a key part of wicketkeeping.

"If I squat down, I need to be able to tilt my head up so I can see the ball coming.

"Hopefully I'll get the all-clear on Tuesday and I can start wicketkeeping practice, albeit a pretty low intensity for a week or two.

"But I'm looking to hopefully play in a second XI game for Tasmania in mid-November and a Sheffield Shield game after that so that will give me a decent lead-in of two or three weeks of proper cricket before the first Test."

Since Paine's recall to the Test side in 2017 after a seven-year absence, the 36-year-old has played in 31-straight matches.

A number of Test stars, including Steve Smith, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, are in the UAE as they attempt to break Australia's drought at Twenty20 World Cups.

There will be only be a few weeks for those players to shift gears from the shortest format to the five-day game, with Australia last playing a Test in January.

Australia have played just four Tests since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic - all against India last summer.

Australian Associated Press