The Australian skipper has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors at play, aside from his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
