The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in the WACA.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors around that, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
