The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the prospects of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, not just his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll adjust."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
