The pace bowler has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief the selector has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Perth.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month 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 leading to absences from several home seasons in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
