Cummins ready for captaincy ncy
THREE days ago Pat t Cummins wasn’t even n thinking about captaining g Australia in the Ashes as Tim Paine neared full fitness ess after neck surgery and was getting ready for a playing ng return.
But the national vice-captain also declared he would be “ready” if thrust into the hot seat for the opening Test at the Gabba, words that now take on greater meaning.
In a stunning turn of events, Paine was forced to quit the Test captaincy after revelations he was being investigated by Cricket Australia for sending explicit text messages to a Cricket Tasmania staff member.
Cricket Australia chairman Richard Freudenstein said the board would “work through a process” before endorsing the next captain.
“Tim felt it was in the best interests of his family and Australian cricket to take this decision to step down as captain,” he said.
“The board has accepted Tim’s resignation and will now work through a process with the national selection panel of identifying and appointing a new captain.”
Cummins, who has been the Test vice-captain since 2019 and the deputy in all three forms of the game, would be just the second fast bowler to lead Australia.
On his return from winning the Twenty20 World Cup in Dubai, Cummins, who is also the NSW one-day captain, was asked if he was ready to step up should Paine be unavailable for any reason.
“I guess so. I’ve been in the role for a couple of years now. I’ll be ready if I have to, but I doubt that,” he said on Tuesday, well before news of Paine’s resignation.
Cummins dismissed any concerns over the workload of being a bowler and captain.
“I think it’s something you have got to be aware of,” he said. “If I was in the role and I found it tough at times, there’s 10 other guys I would lean on out in the middle. You have guys like Smithy (Steve Smith) and Davey Warner who are incredibly experienced and experienced bowlers who look after themselves. I wouldn’t have an issue handballing it over to other people to help out.”
Legendary Test captain Steve Waugh last week said “it’s time” for a bowler to be given the Australian captaincy and endorsed Cummins to take over from Paine.
“I’d like to see Pat Cummins have an opportunity,” Waugh said on Wednesday.
“They say bowlers can’t do it, but they said keepers couldn’t do it. I think we have to find out if a bowler can be a captain of Australia. I don’t see why not.”
Waugh said Cummins, who is now 28 and has played 128 games for Australia across all formats, including 34 Tests, had the right “acumen” to be a successful leader.