Picture the scene – the Aussies have assembled in Brisbane, scanned their QR codes, donned their masks and sanitised their hands.
They roll into the nets for a final tune-up prior to their one-Test series against Afghanistan in November (a prelude to the Ashes). Tim Paine defends a rearing-length ball from a local net bowler (didn’t want to name one of ‘our’ boys) that crashes into his fingers, causing him to miss the Test.
The buzz that would ripple through the journalists assembled would be akin to whether Dan Andrews would wear a North Face vest or blazer to a COVID-19 press conference.
Who now captains Australia?
This conversation is not new.
It’s been had numerous times over the summer, especially during the India series, in which Pat Cummins was made the sole vice-captain.
But is he up to it?
Can a fast bowler with his type of workload manage the most difficult job in Australia (more important than ScoMo’s)?
The answer lies not in the role that Pat Cummins plays, but rather what he would be expected to do as captain.
Those who have experienced it (perhaps not at the same level) can appreciate that the role as captain is diverse and varied. It carries with it the responsibilities that far outweigh the captain of most other sports and in Pat’s case, the hopes of a nation.
A quick brainstorm suggests that a Test captain must:
•Create game strategy with coaching staff
•Work closely with the Test squad to communicate strategy and individual roles within the team
•Effectively manage the team during the game in conjunction with coaching staff
•Set the fields according to the strategy – and often on ‘gut’ feel
•Swing bowling changes at the right time to change the game
•Run team meetings
•Front up to the media and be available more than any other player
•Manage their own game
Plus many more roles that no doubt come with the label of Australian cricket team captain.
Clearly, the list is exhausting. Therefore, the concerns around how Cummins can be effective in all areas, plus work through 40-50 overs in a Test (and bat too) is fair.
My response to this: why can’t he?
Tim Paine’s days as Australian captain may be numbered – is Pat Cummins up to the task? (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
We have a long history of successful Australian captains – Steve Smith, Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor, Allan Border, Donald Bradman, Richie Benaud – all batsman. We have to go back all the way to 1956 when a fast bowler, Ray Lindwall, captained his country (albeit for only one Test).
So, we have come to expect that those who are best suited to the role has to be our best – or one of the best – batsman. Someone in the top six who can be effective across those points made above.
For the sake of this exercise, let’s disregard Smith as an option. Whether he captains again or not remains to be seen, but Cummins could be our next best option.
Yes, a Test match fast bowler’s workload is difficult. The recovery between overs and between innings would require huge amounts of self-care, individual planning and focus.
But are we selling Pat Cummins short?
He is an elite athlete and from all reports, places the team’s objectives above his own. Who is to say that he can’t bowl six balls at 150 km/h, then switch into captain mode?
By suggesting that he can’t captain because he is bowling really is a negative thought towards our premier fast bowler who clearly is a student of the game, respected by his team-mates and we are pre-judging due to the course of our cricketing history.
Pat Cummins (Paul Kane – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
Part of the captain’s role is the management of their players. Building positive relationships, building trust and cohesion and creating respectful cricket partnerships.
If his peers and coaching staff respect his cricketing nous and his ability to lead, then he has the ability to transfer this to the cricket pitch.
With additional leadership from Smith, David Warner and the incoming keeper for Paine (possibly Carey), this allows support for Cummins during his spells.
One of the attributes of a great leader is their ability to delegate and empower those around them. Could Cummins take a breather at fine leg and allow the team to continue like clockwork?
They are professional, well-drilled and would all ‘buy in’ to Cummins as a leader and therefore would respond as professional athletes do.
That’s assuming Cummins needs a breather. He is a terrific fielder and would have no issue in the ring, giving him the ability to converse with his bowlers and other leaders.
What would it look like at the back end of a hot day? No different than at the start of the day.
This comment was raised during the Indian series and again, we were underselling Cummins’ ability and drive.
How often have we seen him return for a third spell at top speed and fired up to get a breakthrough?
More times than I can count.
Yes, the emotional toll of captaincy is fatiguing, and yes, some days will be challenging for him – but he’s surrounded by terrific leaders, coaches and support staff that will assist in getting the best out of him.
Cummins as captain isn’t without precedence.
A brief look over previous Test captains who had been fast bowlers shows that he could be in an elite group, including Kapil Dev (34 Tests, four wins), Wasim Akram (25 Tests, 12 wins), Heath Streak (11 Tests, four wins), Shaun Pollock (26 Tests, 14 wins) and Imran Khan (48 Tests, 14 wins).
An extraordinary group of fast bowlers in their own right, who also had the challenge of being their nation’s captain. A job they all managed to do with some success despite their workloads – most were the key fast bowler of their team.
Cummins has made a positive start to his captaincy career with the win over Victoria that went along with his 3-for-38 and a run-out. With the right guidance and support from his teammates, coaches and most importantly, the Australian public, his captaincy career could be a very successful one.
To suggest he isn’t capable of leading his country due to his skill set is underselling one of the most talented cricketers we have seen for some time.
“The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;”
The Australian cricket team has come a long way with Tim Paine at the helm. He has righted a flailing ship and the transition is almost complete.
The focus on returning the Australian cricket team back to the top of the tree is well on the way and it’s almost time to put a new captain at the wheel.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Do you mean "safe" because of his off field partying antics and reputation, or something else?
Micko
Roar Rookie
He'd more likely move to mid-off/mid-on if made captain.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I’ve never said “every batsman is a brilliant captain and every bowler is a dud” I didn’t say Dev and Khan weren’t successful. Just that Dev didn’t have a long stint as captain I know there’s exceptions on both sides. But a fast bowler needs to be an extremely talented and capable individual to overcome the physical and mental challenges of captaining a test side. History says these individuals are extremely rare Cummins has no track record as a skipper either so I’m not sure why people are getting so bullish. Its more because he’s a great cricketer and a good bloke I’m a massive fan of his and would support him if he was made skipper but there’s no denying it’s a massive ask for a test bowler to manage the job Forget the on-field stuff. What about if Australia has spent a day in the field in 40 degree heat. Cummins has bowled 25 overs in the day. Play ends. The rest of the bowlers go in to do their recovery, ice baths, etc. Cummins has to go and do media work instead
The Barry
Roar Guru
Calm down mate, I’m not insulting anyone. I just have a different opinion to you I’m not knocking any of the blokes you’ve mentioned. Guys like Holder, Vettori and Kumble are excellent cricketers. None will go remotely close to being regarded as the top tier of test captains. That’s not an insult, it’s just a fact You’re holding these guys up as the best examples of bowling captains but talking about a series win here, a drawn series there as measures of their success. Simultaneously knocking the achievements of guys like Waugh, Ponting, Clarke, Cook, etc who have long, successful and even record setting careers as captains. You’re being far more insulting than I am and it’s absolutely laughable if you think you can compare the captaincy records of guys like Holder and Vettori to Ponting and Waugh The weight of history of test cricket that most captains have been batsmen and the best test captains are overwhelmingly batsmen supports my view. Good luck to you if you see this differently My point, which you keep ignoring is that a batsman fielding at slip and not having to bowl has an inherent advantage over someone who has the physical and mental demands of bowling 15+ overs a day and spending as much time fielding at fine leg I know why you keep ignoring it - it’s undeniable It’s not to say it’s impossible and there’s not a fast bowler who’s good enough to overcome the obvious challenges... but 140 years of test cricket suggests the individuals capable of doing so SUCCESSFULLY are very few and very far between
Mr Booze
Guest
Depends on how you measure it. Dev and Khan lifted world cup trophies... No reason why Cummins can't field at mid on. He's a very agile fielder. Clarke often spent a lot of time there too. Flintoff (an admitted poor captain) spent his time in the slips).
P. tear griffin
Guest
What an insulting yardstick to measure by. Btw, they were in addition to the already mentioned Kapil Dev, Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan. Add Courtney Walsh to that list. Do you honestly think Australia won all those test matches because of the "good" captaincy of Waugh or Ponting? Neither could win in India, Ponting couldn't win in England, and lost a series to England at home, along with one against South Africa. Michael Clarke couldn't win in England, lost in India, lost against South Africa too. Did Brian Lara, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Hashim Amla, ABdV, Alastair Cook excel as captains? No. There are plenty of excellent batsman who were rank ordinary captains. The point - which you missed entirely - was that these excellent cricketers I listed (and they are excellent, despite your insults) did not in anyway diminish their own performances while being captain, and for the most part, led their teams to outperform. Shakib has a series win against England and a drawn series against Australia in the bank. Holder draw England. Akram won tons. Kumble started to turn India into a competitive team overseas. Vettori kept NZ competitive and instilled a spirit of overachievement. Pollock remained a genuine class bowler, but I'd admit wasn't the best captain. Learn the game outside Australia before chucking in the insults. Being a "noted" test captain doesn't make you a good captain. It's like saying Mao is a "noted" author.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Now if Australia could only play Shield sides for Test results we'd be sorted.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Oh well, won't be any worse then.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Not a single one of those players would be in the top 50? test captains Yeah, they did an ok to good job, but none of them are noted test captains
The Barry
Roar Guru
Did Hadlee captain NZ? Maybe a couple of times, certainly wasn’t a distinguished captaincy career Dev wasn’t a long term captain either. Dev also fielded in the slips. Imran may have as well I’m not saying it’s impossible but all things being equal, someone fielding closer to the game, without the physical and mental effort of bowling has a massive advantage over someone who’s bowling 15-20 overs a day and spending another 15 overs at fine leg
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Desperate teams pick bowlers, all-rounders and wickys. If you named the best 20 Test captains it would mostly be batsmen. I'd be genuinely surprised if it contained any other non-batsman than Benaud.
P. tear griffin
Guest
Jason holder manages fine. Shakib did very, very well. Daniel Vettori's batting shot up 10 runs when he became a captain. became a bonafide all rounder Wasim Akram seemed to remain a quality bowler. anil Kumble was very good. Shaun Pollock knew a thing or two...probably would have been even better if he knew DLS sums. they are outliers only because Australia doesn't take the blinkers off. I think the only out and out failure in recent years has been Andrew Flintoff...which probably explains why Australia are so scared considering the magnetic hold Flintoff had over Australian selection policy for 14 years after the 05 series
jameswm
Roar Guru
Have a look at Gary's figures today. NSW stuffed up scoring 165, and after Vic got to 0-94, they were bowled out for 200. Lyon 16 overs 6 for 21 - wow. Equally brilliant was Joey Burns - Qld chasing 332 lost 6 for 37 in the middle order - but ended up on 275. Joey Burns scored 171 of then. Yes you heard it right - he scored 171 of 275.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
I'm sure Watson would ban his batsmen using DRS until he had wasted a challenge if he was captain. He was actually more astute with DRS when bowling.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
And David Boon.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Outliers
P. tear griffin
Guest
Bingo on points 3 and 4. Tim Paine could pull a hammy at any moment on the ground and Pat Cummins would be forced to step up...
P. tear griffin
Guest
But not too much to expect Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan and Kapil Dev to be able to successfully captain their teams, field at fine leg, bowling 20+ overs an innings PLUS bat?
badmanners
Roar Rookie
My recollection of that was Paine wanted the review and Pat was not convinced and Paine admitted to this afterwards.
Paul
Roar Guru
you're right. We could only fit two big blokes and a 2 carton esky in my Moke. :happy: