Cricket Australia will soon name its 47th men’s Test captain, having finalised the five-person panel that will mull whether to elevate Pat Cummins.
Cricket Australia has firmed up the process that is expected to result in Pat Cummins’ ascension as the nation’s 47th captain of the men’s Test side.
CA’s board, lashed for its “appalling” conduct by Cricket Tasmania chair Andrew Gaggin on Tuesday, is pushing on with life after Tim Paine’s leadership.
Paine quit in disgrace last Friday as it became clear sexting revelations would enter the public domain.
Cummins, who was last year installed as Australia’s sole vice-captain in all three formats, could be formally appointed Test skipper by the end of this week.
But rather than rush to the conclusion that is widely expected, CA has finalised a formal process for the all-important decision.
A five-person panel, headed by chair Richard Freudenstein and chief executive Nick Hockley, will assess captaincy candidates in coming days.
Selectors George Bailey and Tony Dodemaide, and CA director Mel Jones will also have a voice at the table, with the board to make the final call.
The governing body hasn’t committed to a strict timeline although a verdict is likely to come within a week.
Interviews are expected to be part of the process as was the case when Australia settled on a leadership group after the Cape Town cheating scandal in 2018.
The panel will weigh up various pros and cons as they debate whether Cummins is ready to become the first fast bowler to lead the side since 1956, when Ray Lindwall filled in for a single Test against India.
Steve Smith is the obvious leading alternate to Cummins, with Freudenstein confirming on Saturday the former skipper will be considered in a “very thorough but brief process” to find Paine’s replacement.
Cummins has the public backing of former captain Michael Clarke and many others.
The national selection panel, comprising Bailey, Dodemaide and head coach Justin Langer, has submitted a list of captaincy candidates to be considered.
Langer, who alongside fellow selectors will decide whether Paine is retained in the XI for the first Test that begins on December 8, was left out of the captaincy selection panel to ensure he could invest more time in Australia’s Ashes defence.
Selectors will also need to nominate a new vice-captain, should Cummins be elevated.
If Smith is snubbed from both leadership roles it will be an almighty blow to the star batter whose CA-imposed leadership ban ended almost 20 months ago.
“If the opportunity did come up again I would be keen,” Smith confirmed in March, having previously sat on the fence about a potential return to the captaincy.
Cummins has taken the place of Paine on the digital cover of ‘Cricket 22’, although physical versions of the video game will still feature the wicketkeeper.
Freudenstein, himself acting as interim chair as CA’s board continue its own search for a permanent successor to Earl Eddings, will be desperate to quell angst lingering in cricket circles about the Paine saga.
Gaggin’s stunning broadside represented the most overt display of unease at state-association level since Eddings was ousted.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
"Do you own a luxurious Eastern Suburbs mansion with ocean views, and a vacuous influencer?" "Have they featured in New Idea? If not, why not? Explain yourself!!!"
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
"The national selection panel, ... Bailey, Dodemaide and ... Langer ..." submits a list of faves. To a panel. The chairman and the chief executive and three others are the panel. To which the first panel submits. That panel submits a list or a name to the board - nine people including just one bloke - one - who played district or something for a few years (his profile is fabulously vague). Everyone else is a Bank of America chairman / leg up / fashionable appointee - all of them say they like an afternoon at the cricket now and then. In a well catered, elevated, air-conditioned corporate box at Lords or the SCG, well away from the common people. In a sane world Langer would be properly trusted to decide who is best suited, and to sort it out with the chief executive. You'd reckon that bloke would be capable of then putting their decision to the board, for ratification. After all, the board has matters of greater moment to consider - for example, design of the new stationery following planned relocation to more impressive offices overlooking Darling Harbour at Barangaroo. An investment for the future, you see. This is, of course, the best practice process that shovelled up Clarke, Watson, Smith, that pugnacious poodle bloke - Warner, and juvenile Paine as leaders! :happy: :stoked: :laughing: As an aside - Langer was a fine opening bat for Australia for fourteen years, has attained high standard in martial arts, and wrote half a dozen books. He also did a bit of coaching at modest level. He should have left it at that. His last couple of years cuddling and comforting and prostrating before sensitive millionaire entertainment personalities makes that clear. When one embarks naively on the job of getting little boys and girls out on the paddock, gambolling and giggling, not knowing whether they are winning or losing, one gives no thought to the fact that those efforts (and the association fees) contribute mightily to the grand lifestyle of a couple of dozen self-important urgers who attach themselves at the pinnacle of the game, on and off the field.
Kim Hughes 1980
Roar Rookie
Cummins (c) Carey (vc) Labuschagne (dvc)
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
We've got council elections coming up in a couple of weeks . Maybe have a referendum to select the captain
jameswm
Roar Guru
Just do the logical thing Cummins (c) Smith (v-c)
Paul
Roar Guru
Good idea. It’s been a while since our last national vote and it makes sense, too. If this is supposedly the second most important job in Australia behind the one Scotty from Marketing’s playing at, we should use our democracy to come up with someone suitable.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I wonder what sort of tests and questions the contenders will have to sit through? A photographic competition first up would be a nice and easy way to ease into the process. “Are you, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist Party?” “If a car is travelling west at 90kmph, what time period will elapse before it meets a tractor currently 30km away travelling in the opposite direction at 20kph?” Interesting to know if everyone has to hand over their personal devices for “forensic examination”. 10 minutes spinning around inside one of the multi axis trainer gyro spheres will sort out the men from the boys.
Tony
Roar Guru
And if they don't pick Cummins, don't insult his intelligence by making him vice captain
badmanners
Roar Rookie
Elite Integrity?
Andrew
Roar Rookie
Terrible headline to this story. “No room for Langer” is an outright lie. Do you have any sense of integrity?
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I say make it 25. Million. Give us all a say! :thumbup:
badmanners
Roar Rookie
Why stop at five?
Frank delosa
Guest
With the 1st test just 2 weeks away AUS are still dandering and crandle footing around the maypole with this captain issue. It will go to Smith and Cummins as VC. Or Labuschagne is a high chance too. Get the XI together ASAP and start gelling the team. The Poms are light years ahead in terms of test readiness.