The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated 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 scheduled to begin on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors involved, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. Ideally from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but admitted it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and stated that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
