The Australian skipper has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, aside from the back issue, but further aspects," he commented.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts 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 comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
