Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, not just his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
