The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors involved, aside from his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
