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Cricket Australia, as it usually does, has taken the conservative option in installing Pat Cummins as skipper of the ODI team, but they are taking a modern approach of a leadership group rather than a designated vice-captain for when the fast bowler is unavailable.
Cummins is taking over from Aaron Finch after he retired from the 50-over format following a lean trot with the bat with 12 months until the next World Cup and only 14 ODIs to be played to find a winning combination for the showpiece event in India.
He has been handed the reins although he added he was not necessarily looking to add the T20 captaincy to his growing portfolio. Finch will remain skipper for the T20 World Cup at least and he has not said whether he will continue in the shortest format after the tournament on home soil over the next month.
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Cummins said he would not be able to play all white-ball matches due to his heavy workload as a fast bowler in all three formats.
(Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
Chief selector George Bailey said he was open to the idea of David Warner being among the senior players who fill in for Cummins in the 50-over format if his leadership ban is lifted by CA.
He said he welcomes the review into the code of conduct and hopes it’s done in a timely manner becasuse
“the longer that drags out it just leads to speculation”.
While he was adamant the Warner captaincy issue was a hypothetical one until it’s resolved, he praised Warner for his efforts as a senior player since returning from his ban three years ago.
“David’s leadership within the group is fantastic, titled or not, highly respected. I think it’s a credit to David that a number of people externally who are now saying it’s a no-brainer he should hold a leadership position were 18 months to two years ago some of the strongest advocates for him having a life ban.
“I think that’s a credit to David that he has worked on himself. I just can’t speak highly enough on what he brings to the group.
“We are moving away from this concept of a captain taking over and their leadership being all encompassing. It’s very much a collaboration at times. It’s one of Pat’s greatest strengths.”
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Wicketkeeper Alex Carey, Warner, if CA lifts his leadership ban, Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head or a left-field option like Josh Hazlewood are in the frame to deputise for him.
Bailey said Australia had a “campaign focus” on next year’s ODI World Cup and that Cummins was a “no-brainer” to take over from Finch.
“I think we’ve got a number of players in the group who can assume the leadership should they need to. I don’t expect Pat to play every one-day game in the lead-up to the World Cup. I’ll expect that we might see two or three guys taking the leadership for a game at some stage.”
Cummins, 29, has represented Australia in 73 ODIs, as well as 43 Tests and 46 T20s, taking 119 wickets at 28.04 with a best bowling of 5-70.
Alongside Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, he is part of arguably the strongest three-format pace bowling cartel in world cricket.
Cummins has shown fast bowlers are more than capable of being leaders despite Australia’s historic aversion to giving pacemen the captaincy.
He took over the Test team in dramatic circumstances at the start of last summer when Tim Paine resigned following a sexting scandal and led Australia to a 4-0 Ashes triumph before embarking on a 1-0 win in Pakistan and a 1-1 draw in Sri Lanka.
He will become the 27th ODI captain in the history of the Australian men’s team when they take on England in a home three-game series next month following the T20 World Cup.
“Just because you’re captain it doesn’t mean you have to play every one of these ODIs, potentially we’ve got 15 Test matches to play before the next World Cup
“I think the confidence looking around the group knowing that we’ve got lots of strong leaders there that even if I’m captain and I’m not there, I don’t have to worry about it at all.”
Bailey said Warner would be fit to play in Australia’s first match of the T20 World Cup when the Super 12 stage gets underway on Saturday night against New Zealand at the SCG after picking up a slight neck injury while fielding in Canberra last week.
All-rounder Mitchell Marsh is bowling in the nets after his recent ankle problem and is likely to be able to roll the arm over against the Black Caps if needed while Bailey confirmed former skipper Steve Smith would be the unlucky batter to miss out on a spot in the top six due to Tim David’s recent ascension into the national team.