Pat Cummins has been named Australia Test captain following Tim Paine’s decision to step down from the post last Friday.
Former Test captain Steve Smith will play a supporting role to Cummins as his deputy. Smith was sacked as captain following the 2018 Cape Town ball tampering scandal.
Tim Paine stepped down last week over the emergence of a historical investigation into sexually explicit texts to a female colleague. Following today’s news, Paine has withdrawn himself from selection.
Cricket Tasmania – Paine’s state side, said that he would take an immediate break from the game of cricket “for the foreseeable future.”
On taking over the vacant position, Cummins said in a statement: “I am honoured to accept this role ahead of what will be a massive Ashes summer.”
“I hope I can provide the same leadership Tim (Paine) has given the group in the past few years.
“With Steve and I as captains, a number of very senior players in this squad and some great young talent coming through we are a strong and tightly knit group.
“This is an unexpected privilege which I am very grateful for and am very much looking forward to.”
The 28-year-old fast bowler is only the second specialist fast bowler to hold the post after Ray Lindwall’s solitary test in charge in India in 1956.
The Ashes
His first task is to retain The Ashes. The first Test match starts on December 8th at The Gabba, Brisbane.
The decision to make a fast bowler captain in the modern era is rare. The physical demands on fast bowlers over a five Test match series has meant that many teams have rotated their fast bowlers during a series.
Many players enter ‘The Red Zone’ when they have bowled too many overs in a short period of time, where fatigue hugely increased the likelihood of injury – to which Cummins has a sad history with.
Off the back of the IT20 World Cup, Cummins will go straight into the Test series with little break. Now captain, Cummins is likely to play 25 days of cricket in a mere 42 days.
He will be supported in the fast-bowling ranks by Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. The three-pronged attack will be supported by Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser, who are waiting in the wings.
Steve Smith made deputy
With Cummins being a fast bowler, Steve Smith will hold a huge amount of responsibility on the field as his deputy. Pat Cummins will want to bowl as often as possible. So, it will be up to Smith to help hold Cummins back from over bowling by rotation of the fast bowlers so that they stay fresh.
Smith reassumes his leadership role following his dismissal in 2018 following Cape Town. Cricket Australia’s leadership ban on Smith expired in March 2020.
Steve Smith said: “I am a more rounded individual (than in 2018) and in turn that’s turned me into a better leader.”
Pat Cummins
Cummins was selected after the three-person National Selection Panel of Bailey, Dodemaide and men’s head coach Justin Langer, put forward Cummins and Smith as captaincy candidates for the five-member panel to consider.
A popular figure in Australian and world cricket, Cummins currently sits tip of the ICC’s Men’s Test bowling rankings.
He has taken 164 wickets in 34 Tests at an average of 21.59. Cummins has become England’s nemesis in the last two Ashes series, sitting top of the wicket taking column in both the 2017-18 with 23 wickets and the away 2019 series with 29.
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