The pace bowler has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations at play, not just his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
