The pace bowler has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, aside from his injury, but further aspects," he commented.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
