The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Injury History
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
