The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"We know that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, aside from his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
