The pace bowler has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games 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 historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, aside from his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling 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All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
