The pace bowler has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of taking part.
"We're aware that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, not only the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."
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