The Australian skipper has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.
"We know that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
He mentioned that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move 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."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
