The pace bowler has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors involved, not just his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a significant role. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
