The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.
"We're aware that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
