Pat Cummins has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors involved, not just the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out 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 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
