The pace bowler has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations at play, not just his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with recurrences in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
