The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the series.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, 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 take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
