The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
