The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"We know that the clock is ticking and various factors at play, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.
He mentioned that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
