Pat Cummins has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on November 21 in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," he commented.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
