The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss 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 Ashes.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
