The Australian skipper has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the prospects of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, not only the physical problem, but other factors as well," he commented.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
