Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors involved, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
