Pat Cummins has received a vote of confidence from two former Australian captains to be Tim Paine‘s successor as Australia’s Test skipper.
Australia’s men’s team is on the lookout for a new leader in the five-day format after Paine sensationally resigned just weeks out from the Ashes series following a sexting scandal.
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Cricket Australia chiefs have indicated that a thorough process will be conducted to determine the nation’s next Test captain, with Cummins, the current vice-captain, and Steve Smith, the former Test skipper, thought to be the leading contenders.
Greg Chappell, who captained Australia in 48 Tests between 1975 and 1983, said Australia’s “best chance of success” in the upcoming series was with Cummins at the helm.
“Like Paine before him, Cummins will be required to not merely lead the team but again rebuild faith in the role and Australian cricket,” Chappell wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald.
“Pat is extremely intelligent, an outstanding player and has an excellent cricket brain, so is ideal for the role. Besides, he is not lippy, preferring the bat and ball to do the talking.
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“Crowds love him and see him for what he is – a cleanskin, who always bowls his heart out for Australia and a resilient chap who has overcome injury challenges with sheer perseverance, dedication and dint of character.”
The common points made against Cummins being made skipper are his playing role, given a fast bowler has not captained Australia since Ray Lindwall did so as a stand-in on a tour of India in 1956-57, and his lack of captaincy experience.
One of Australia’s most successful Test skippers, Steve Waugh, who won 41 out of 57 Tests as skipper, also backed Cummins to thrive.
“It may elevate his game,” Waugh told 9News Melbourne.
“I know when I became captain it made me a batter batter because you realise you had to lead from the front.
“There’s a bit more responsibility and some people really enjoy that and embrace it and some people find it a burden. But I think with Pat Cummins, he’ll embrace it.”
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If Cummins is given the nod, Waugh urged Australian fans to have a bit of patience as he works his way into the role.
“It is a lot of responsibility and a lot of pressure and there’s big expectation,” he said.
“Yeah, he’s not going to get everything right to start with, so people have got to give him a bit of leeway and he needs the support of the players.”