The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors at play, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
