World Cup will boost us for the Ashes - Cummins
AUSTRALIA will take confidence from their T20 World Cup win into the forthcoming Ashes series with the squad “buzzing”, Pat Cummins has said.
Cummins, named as vice-captain in Australia’s 15-man squad for the first two Tests, said the victory was a “perfect way to start off the summer” and that a break away from red-ball cricket would prove a benefit rather than a hindrance.
Australia took their first T20 World Cup with an eight-wicket victory over New Zealand, and Cummins and the side are now preparing to face England in the Ashes starting at the Gabba on December 8.
Speaking from hotel quarantine, the 28-year-old said: “Absolutely, I think we’ll take confidence from it.
“It’s a different format but you saw someone like David Warner, player of the tournament, that’s going to (give) him huge confidence going into the summer.
“As a team and as an Australian side, I think we all probably felt like we’ve underperformed a little bit in the last few years, haven’t won as many games as we’d probably expect from an Australian side.”
But “winning a title on the world stage” will change that, he said.
“It can be era-defining for a side, everyone’s absolutely buzzing, really excited for what’s next.
“We’ve got seven or eight from that last tour here together ready for The Ashes. It was a huge win and a perfect way to start off the summer.”
Australia have not played Test cricket since they welcomed India at the start of the year, but Cummins said the switch to the long form game would be more than manageable.
“I think the first obvious benefit of the short spells is we’re feeling really fresh,” said Cummins, who was leading wicket-taker in Australia’s 4-0 home Ashes success in 2017-18, with 23. “I always feel like it’s better to be underdone than overdone coming into a big Test series.”
Brisbane will host the series opener, before a day/night Test in Adelaide and the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
The teams will travel to Sydney in the New Year but a question mark remains over the site of the fifth Test with harsh border restrictions in Western Australia and would-be host city Perth.
■ Somerset Cricket Club chief executive Gordon Hollins will be guest at the North Somerset and Bristol Area Annual General Meeting, to be held tonight at The Grove Sports Centre, Nailsea, starting at 7.30pm. All members are welcome to attend.