The Australian skipper has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, not just his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons 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 there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
