The Australian skipper has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors at play, not only the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
