The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches kicking off on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," he commented.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
