The Australian skipper has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations at play, not just the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 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 there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
