Kolkata, Nov 14: Pat Cummins expressed his desire to stay on as Australia’s ODI captain following the ongoing World Cup.
Cummins, who was initially handed reins of the Test team, was made ODI skipper following the sudden retirement of Aaron Finch last year.
Having guided Australia to the World Cup semifinals on the back of seven straight wins after opening two losses, Cummins has made a strong case for captaincy extension.
Asked about his future as ODI captain, the 30-year-old said: “Potentially, yeah. We’ll chat about it. We’ve been pretty open, me and Andrew (head coach) and George (selector) around different times in the year you’re going to have different priorities.
“This is a bit of a one-off year where there’s three or four big off-season events. After here the focus shifts back to Test cricket for a fair while. Probably like we’ve done in the past, at times white-ball cricket is going to have to shift (as a priority) so we fully focus on Test cricket. There’s no end date in sight.“I feel like I’ve been managed really well and looked after in a really, really busy year where you don’t really want to give up any cricket,” said the fast bowler.
Cummins, who had opted out of the IPL 2023 to focus on his international commitments, will put his name in the auction ahead of the 2024 edition.
The IPL will be played before the T20 World Cup in the United States and the Caribbean, serving as ideal preparation for the global event.
Kolkata Knight Riders had bought Cummins for Rs 7.5 crore in the 2022 IPL auction.
“I feel like I haven’t played a heap of T20 cricket and in some ways I feel like I haven’t played my best T20 cricket for a little while,” he said.
“I’m really excited, I’m probably going to go into the IPL auction for next year to try to get some games before that World Cup and push a case to not only make the side but get back to how I feel like I can bowl in T20 cricket,” he said.
Mitchell Marsh is expected to lead Australia in the T20 World Cup. Cummins made his Test debut for Australia in 2011 at the age of 18. He has since gone on to play over 50 Tests, taking over 200 wickets. He is also a regular member of the Australian ODI and T20I squads.
Cummins is a tall and athletic bowler who bowls with a high degree of accuracy and control. He is also capable of bowling at a good pace, and can swing the ball both ways. He is a versatile bowler who can be effective in both new and old ball conditions.
In addition to his bowling, Cummins is also a capable batsman. He has scored over 1,000 runs in Test cricket, including a century. He is a useful lower-order batsman who can add valuable runs to the Australian total.
Cummins is a natural leader and a role model for young cricketers. He is a dedicated and hardworking cricketer who is always striving to improve his game. He is also a popular figure among his teammates and fans.Cummins is a world-class cricketer who is sure to have a long and successful career. He is a valuable asset to the Australian cricket team and he is sure to play a leading role in their future success. (Agencies)