The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, not just the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
