Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations at play, aside from the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
