Australia's captain Set to Play a Significant Contribution in Ashes Series
The pace bowler has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors at play, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
