The pace bowler has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management 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.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, not only the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
