The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations involved, not only the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.
He mentioned that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
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