Pat Cummins has become the latest Australian quick to put country before cash, pulling out of next year’s Indian Premier League due to workload concerns.
Cummins made the call to skip next year’s tournament for the Kolkata Knight Riders, foregoing a $1.3 million salary that comes with his appearance.
The decision comes after he was elevated to the captaincy of Australia’s one-day team, with a World Cup in India at the end of next year.
Australia also have a four-Test tour in India next February and March before the IPL, while a five-Test Ashes series in England and potential World Test Championship final follow.
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Cummins’ decision comes after Mitchell Starc has long skipped the IPL, wanting to prioritise his fitness for Australia ahead of the big-money tournament.
The pair have also rarely played in the Big Bash League at home, citing the same reasons.
“I’ve made the difficult decision to miss next years IPL,” Cummins tweeted on Tuesday morning.
“The international schedule is packed with Tests and ODI’s for the next 12 months, so will take some rest ahead of an Ashes series and World Cup.”
Cummins’ workload had been a major talking point before he was handed both the Test and ODI captaincy, with the quick still featuring in all three formats for Australia.
When factoring in all Tests this summer as well as one-day and Twenty20 series on the road in 2023, Australia’s players have up to 106 days of international cricket in the next 12 months.
That figure includes a possible World Test Championship final in London with Australia currently top of the table, as well as the semi-finals and final of next year’s ODI World Cup.
The problem is most significant for fast bowlers Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, and allrounder Cameron Green who will each play against England in ODIs this week.
(Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
David Warner, Alex Carey, Steve Smith, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne also play across both red and white-ball formats, meaning nine of Australia’s top XI are now regulars in both the Test and one-day teams.
Australia’s selections for this week’s matches have also shown selectors want to give players as much match preparation as possible for next year’s World Cup.
Virtually all cricket in the next 12 months is either in the form of Test or 50-over matches, with three T20s against South Africa next August the sole exception.
The topic of quick turnarounds between series has been a point of contention for players, with England allrounder Moeen Ali lamenting the fact his team must play again just four days after a World Cup triumph.
“It’s been happening for a while,” Moeen told reporters after England’s T20 triumph on Sunday.
“When we won the World Cup in 2019, we had an Ashes game two weeks later and we had a Test match against Ireland about 10 days later.
“Those kind of things are a shame.
“As a group we want to enjoy and celebrate and have that (time) because you put so much into it.
“Having a game in three days’ time, it’s horrible.”
AUSTRALIA’S BIG YEAR OF CRICKET
NOVEMBER: Three ODIs v England (home)
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER: Two Tests v West Indies (home)
DECEMBER-JANUARY: Three Tests v South Africa (home)
JANUARY 2023: Big Bash League*
FEBRUARY-MARCH: Four Tests and three ODIs v India (away)
MARCH: Three ODIs v Afghanistan (neutral)**
APRIL-MAY: Indian Premier League*
JUNE: World Test Championship final (in England)
JUNE-JULY: Five Tests v England (away)
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER: Five ODIs and three T20s v South Africa (away)
SEPTEMBER: 3 ODIs v India (away)
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER: ODI World Cup, nine matches plus finals (in India)
* Several Australian players remain contracted for the January BBL window and IPL season.
** Afghanistan tour appears scheduled by ICC Future Tours Program, but would require a change in Cricket Australia’s stance on the Taliban regime.
JamesH
Roar Guru
“He was one of the premier white ball bowlers in the world at the time.” I didn’t say he was now, or even three years ago.
matth
Roar Guru
I could be wrong but I thought they moved to 2 year contracts a while back? Even so there is always a way out of a bad contract in sports.
nics
Roar Rookie
Some people forget that signing on players for a club team goes beyond expected performances. There is a cachet (eg marketing revenue) attached to certain players eg Test captains etc which results in a premium paid by the club. People would pay money to see Cummins play, just as people paid good money to see a well-past-his-prime Shane Warne roll up in meaningless T20 matches. Cummins is already a wealthy man, but I’m not sure I would walk away from $1m for 10 weeks’ work. We can draw several inferences – he’s focusing on the Test and ODI captaincy, or according to some, he’s just forfeiting the money to avoid IPL humiliation. Occam’s razor anyone?
nics
Roar Rookie
Shh! Don't let the facts get in a way of a good rant. Next they'll say JL was sacked when he just didn't get the extension he wanted ;)
The Bush
Roar Guru
Geez Don, not the nicest comment is it. I remember a time when you used to stick up for players when people made comments like this. Thought you'd like that Cummins is focusing on the Australian team.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Hasn’t been for 3 years. You must be mixing him up with Andrew Tye or Jason Behrendorff… or, maybe, Ashton Agar.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
That ridiculous contract was for more than one year? I'll bet they're happy he pulled out. Probably paid him 1/2 a mill to do so.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
That was last year. After his WC and the lead up games, he would not have received an offer.
Marty
Roar Rookie
Nah mate. As long as he’s driving a V8 diesel 4wd around the city while professing his concern for the environment his actions clearly do not match his words. But at least this is a start. Wouldn’t it be great to see him make the change, sacrifice a little bit of luxury for a cause he’s so passionate about? It’s something many other people have done, with no where near his financial resources. But hey, I guess he’s to busy ‘raising awareness’ right?
JamesH
Roar Guru
Not this year, but he hasn't played since 2015 where he took 20 wickets at 15 with an ER of 6.8 and made the team of the tournament. There's absolutely zero doubt he would have been picked up in at least the couple of seasons after that if he hadn't stepped away voluntarily. He was one of the premier white ball bowlers in the world at the time.
The Bush
Roar Guru
But he has an existing contract, so no one has to bid for him. It's not money being offered, it's money that would be paid if he simply fulfilled his existing contract. Whether you like it or not Don, he is giving up that money, a lot of money.
The Bush
Roar Guru
He shouldn't be selected for T20Is anymore. It's really become a split sport now for all but a few - you either play 'real' cricket for your nation, or you play in the T20 Leagues and play T20Is when you can. That's basically the future from here on out.
The Bush
Roar Guru
No one has to bid for him, he has a contract already...
JamesH
Roar Guru
Which you can probably put down to captaincy inexperience. We're so used to our captains being groomed for the role - Waugh, Ponting, Clarke, Smith - that it's pretty unusual for a guy to be handed the reins with as little captaincy experience as Cummins.
matth
Roar Guru
Very true, they can’t really play much BBL either
matth
Roar Guru
He has a current contract for $1.3M, every player is not auctioned every year
matth
Roar Guru
His current contract is $1.3M per season, signed last year. The team paid way overs, but there you go.
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Hope Pat can still afford to pay his power bill.Is he with Alinta?
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Don't question the second Cummins! -- He's easily within our best 3 T20 bowlers in the national set up. Isn't he? (He's Pat?) And he would have otherwise deserved top billing (and pay check) in the IPL 2023, had he chosen to play. (Yeah sure, IPL pay cheque may have been driven by previous IPL participation and performance, blah blah blah). By not playing IPL 2023, Cummins will also avoid the *unfair* criticism from 2022 of him focusing on cashing in on IP dollars in 2022 at the expense of making himself available for Australia in 2022. I mean. he actually did that, but it would be unfair on him to actually talk about that (hey! look over there!). That's akin to Cummins-hating. And that's simply Un-Austrayan. - Good on him for taking the high ground for 2023 IPL and not simply reading the writing on the wall based on 2022 public sentiment, actual performance and whether an IPL team would actually pay top dollar for him. - Cummins' admirable attitude should definitely keep those pesky Western Australians at bay :) - You West Australians, comment at your peril if you choose balanced consideration over sycophancy! :laughing:
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Who is offering the $1m he's "giving up"?