The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, aside from his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
