The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns 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 whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors involved, not just the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
