The Australian skipper has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of being involved.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, not only the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
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The Historic Rivalry
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