Cummins Uncertain About T20 World Cup Leadership Role Despite Team’s Success
As the T20 World Cup approaches in 2024, Australia’s Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins remains undecided about taking on the T20 captaincy as well. Cummins, a crucial member of the 2021 T20 World Cup-winning side, has expressed no clear indication of his desire to lead the team in all three formats.
While Mitchell Marsh and Matthew Wade have recently held the T20 captaincy, Cummins has remained non-committal about his aspirations for the 2024 World Cup. Whether he takes on the additional responsibility of T20 captaincy remains to be seen.
Upon returning from a World Cup triumph in India, Cummins said, “Honestly don’t know, we’ll chat about it, Mitchy’s done the last T20 series’ and done a fantastic job.”
A T20 side might not be preferred in terms of leadership by Cummins but he is quite assured about his ODI format career Cummins expressed understanding towards his teammates who are playing in the T20I series after the conclusion of World Cup.
READ MORE: Ex Aussie Greats Lauds Pat Cummins for World Cup Captaincy
“I don’t begrudge them,” he admitted, acknowledging the demanding schedule they have faced. “They’re still representing Australia, and these tours are valuable opportunities for younger players to gain experience.”
”They’re important tours, but the players are human, not machines. They poured their hearts into the World Cup and are playing again just days later. I can’t blame them for taking a step back.”
Australia has now won two of the three major cricket formats, the ODI World Cup and the World Test Championship. After winning the T20 World Cup in 2021, Australia failed to defend its title on home soil in 2022 which led to retirement of Aaron Finch.
Starc Reflects on Australia’s Trophy Haul, Emphasizing Depth of Talent
Mitchell Starc, who has now won two ODI World Cups, a T20 World Cup, and a World Test Championship, reflected on the team’s achievements.
“It’s pretty special,” Starc said. “To win one World Cup is hugely successful and rewarding, and for a few of us to have done it twice is incredible. Likewise for those guys who are part of the squad and have won two one-day World Cups and a T20 World Cup, and a couple of others have won a Test match (championship) as well.”
“We’re grateful for the opportunities we’ve had, and we’re proud of the success we’ve achieved as a team. These are special moments that we’ll cherish forever.”
Cummins emphasized the depth of talent within Australian cricket, highlighting their recent success in multiple formats. “Last year, we narrowly missed out on winning all three formats by just six months.”
“To capture one trophy is a significant accomplishment, but achieving success across various formats truly demonstrates the strength of our coaching staff and the entire squad.”
“This cannot be accomplished with just 11 players; it requires a pool of 25 exceptional individuals. I believe this exemplifies the current strength of Australian cricket,” he stated.
Both Cummins and Starc confirmed their intention to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) following the upcoming Test series against Pakistan and West Indies, aiming to fine-tune their skills ahead of the T20 World Cup.
