Pat Cummins gives verdict on his Australia captaincy future

Australia captain Pat Cummins is not very sure of leading the side for the rest of his cricketing career. Cummins, who took over from Tim Paine in Test cricket and Aaron Finch in ODIs, has been brilliant as the leader of this side. He led the side to a Test series win in Pakistan and then went on to retain the Ashes in England. He then captained the side to ODI World Cup glory last year.

Speaking with reporters ahead of the Test series against New Zealand, Cummins said that his future as captain is contingent upon his physical condition and performance levels.

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“In a perfect world, if my form and body could keep up I’d like to be playing into my mid-30s, I’d doubt that I’ll be captaining that long. If I’ve got seven or eight years, in a perfect world, of Test cricket I’d be very surprised if I’m captain for the whole time,” Cummins was as quoted by The Sydney Morning Herald.

Cummins made his debut as a tearaway quick in 2011 against South Africa, but struggled with injuries for the first 4-5 years. However, ever since making his comeback to the fold in 2017, he has become a potent force with the ball and was also the number 1 ranked Test bowler for quite a while.

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With Mitchell Marsh and Matthew Wade leading Australia in the T20I series against New Zealand, Cummins said he was happy to take a step back and do his job as a player. However, he was quick to add that he would always be available for suggestions on the field even when he is not the captain of the side. “Wadey and Marshy are both really good mates, so I’m there if they need me or want to lean or bounce an idea off me or whatever, but it was more of a mental refresh than anything else,” he further added.

Australia’s Test series against New Zealand starts at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Thursday, February 29. Both sides will be keen to clinch this series and bolster their standing in the World Test Championship points table.