The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. If not, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
