Australia speedster Pat Cummins has rubbished talks of his elevation as the future Test skipper while hailing the incumbent Tim Paine of doing a “brilliant job”.
Australia's unbeaten batting pair Pat Cummins (L) and Nathan Lyon walk back to the pavilion at the end of fourth day's play. (Photo: AFP)
Australia speedster Pat Cummins has rubbished talks of his elevation as the future Test skipper while hailing the incumbent Tim Paine of doing a “brilliant job”.
Cummins, who starred with both bat and ball, taking career-best figures of 6/27 in the second innings and registering another career-best 63 with the willow, albeit in a losing cause in the Boxing Day Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), drew calls from leg-spin legend Shane Warne that the 25-year-old pacer evokes captaincy material.
“I think it’s pretty ridiculous at the moment,” Cummins was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. “We’ve obviously got ‘Painey’ (Tim Paine) at the moment who is doing a brilliant job and I think it’s his for a long time now.”
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Cummins, who rose to No.3 on the ICC Test blowing rankings after his MCG haul of 9/99, said he is more focussed on improving his individual game at the moment.
“I feel like I’m too busy in the game bowling and when I’m batting putting all my effort into that. And when I’m not doing it I’m usually off with the fairies trying to recover.
“So, I don’t think I would make a very good captain at the moment,” he added.
Cummins, however, did not rule out the possibility of appointing a fast bowler as the captain and in such a scenario has backed Josh Hazlewood for the vice captain’s role.
“I think someone like Josh Hazlewood at the moment has an enhanced role as vice captain, he’s always thinking about the game when he’s out there fielding.
“When he’s batting in the sheds he is always watching and thinking things through. Maybe it’s different personalities, but I see no reason why a bowler can’t be a captain,” Cummins said.
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