The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back 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 scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors at play, not only his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
