The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, not just his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Backup Options
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature 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 developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
