The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations at play, not only his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a significant role. Ideally starting in Perth. If not, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
