Pat Cummins has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and various factors at play, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. With luck it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons leading to absences from several home seasons in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.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 stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
