Cummins No.1 test bowler

Canberra: Buoyed by greater confidence in his body, Pat Cummins has become the first Australian to top the ICC Test bowling rankings in 13 years and almost certainly retained his spot atop Cricket Australia’s contract list. Cummins’ superb year was recognised last week when he was crowned the Allan Border medallist but his standing in world cricket was confirmed when he replaced South African Kasigo Rabada as the best bowler in the world. He has a rating of 878 after a strong summer against India and Sri Lanka, usurping English swing king Anderson (862) and Rabada (849), the latter slipping from first to third.

Australia’s new Test vice-captain became the first local since Glenn McGrath in 2006 to be the top-ranked bowler. Mitchell Johnson, despite a stellar 2009-11 period, was second in March 2009.

Cummins, who had more than five years between his first and second Tests because of back stress fractures, has attributed his stellar year to greater physical confidence. “This year I had a few months off with a back issue but I had played so much cricket before that that those big worries of the past were hopefully behind me for a while,” he said.

“I just had a lot of confidence. I knew I would come back. I knew I would come back bowling well and get back in the side.

“For me, it’s just the ability to look in the diary ahead, kind of plan out tours in my head, just worry about bowling well as opposed to if I am going be in the side or if I am going to be fit enough.”

ICC test bowler rankings: 1. Pat Cummins (878 points); 2. Jimmy Anderson (862); 3. Kagiso Rabada (849); 4. Vernon Philander (821); 5. Ravindra Jadeja (794).

-The Canberra Times