Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, not only his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a significant role. With luck starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
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.
He has a history of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
