The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on November 21 in Western Australia.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and felt positive about his chances of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
