Australia captain Pat Cummins is relishing what it has been a golden year for Australian cricket despite not reaching the highest standards. The 30-year-old led the team to victory in the World Test Championship, retained the Ashes in England and lifted the World Cup in India within a span of six months. Fast bowler and New South Welshman Mitchell Starc praised his leader.
“I think he’s been phenomenal; he’s talked about it over the last two months. Certainly, he has his critics, and it’s people’s opinions that it should be done a certain way, and Pat has never has also not been affected by it. Although I’m sure there have been times when he has felt it internally, he doesn’t display it in front of the wider group,” said Starc, who recently won Cummins visited the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) to showcase the World Cup trophy.
Australia had a remarkable campaign in India, losing the first two games before recording nine consecutive wins en route to the title. After the opening two matches, Cummins faced more pressure than ever before, with questions being raised about his captaincy. The 30-year-old not only led as a captain but also put in impressive performances with the ball in crucial situations. Be it managing the team when not bowling or giving suggestions to his bowling partners when not bowling, Cummins has contributed whenever the team needed it.
When asked about the importance of their deep success, the Australian captain stressed the importance of a strong and long-term team.
“Winning the World Cup is extremely successful and rewarding. For some of us who have won it twice, and some who have won both ODI and T20 World Cups, and some others who have won the World Cup, it is also a test; it It’s not in vain for us, and we’re grateful for those opportunities. But to achieve success as a team, it’s not just about taking pride in the results and the results that follow, but taking those risks. It’s also about pride in taking the lead first,” Cummins said.
One of the key decision points in the World Cup final was Australia’s choice to defend first on the dry pitch used in Ahmedabad. Despite the planning behind the bowling decisions, Cummins knew it was a risk that could have backfired if India had posted a big score. Still, he felt it was the best way to advance in the game.
Cummins said, “It might have been an easy choice for me and the coaching staff. We wanted to be aggressive, be brave, take risks and luckily it paid off. We thought we needed to take them.” ” Taking risks is necessary to achieve any opportunity, so there is pride not only in the outcomes and the results that follow, but also in taking those risks in the beginning.”
Cummins admitted that like him, another notable Australian player, David Warner, had also faced criticism ahead of the World Cup. However, much like the T20 World Cup in 2021, the left-handed batsman had a highly successful tournament ahead of the World Cup and he remained Australia’s leading run-scorer.
“It can’t hurt anyone; any player is better when he goes into the game with confidence. I thought he was fantastic in this World Cup, as if he has been playing with the red ball for a long time. He wasn’t just playing out there for himself; he would take the game forward, be courageous and really push the opposition back. Imagine him hitting the ball beautifully at the moment,” Cummins said.
“He is great in all formats of our game. So there is no doubt that this (farewell plan) is part of it. When you select a team, you first think about the performance aspect. It is only “It’s not just about results and pride in those results, but also pride in leading in those aspects,” Cummins concluded.