The Australian skipper has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, not only his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
