The pace bowler has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, not just the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
