The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a significant role. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
