The pace bowler has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors at play, aside from his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
He mentioned that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
