MELBOURNE, Nov 26, (Asia Free Press) – Pat Cummins, Australia’s fast bowler, was the 47th test captain for Australia Cricket Team on Friday; it happened all after Paine’s resignation Cricket Australia (CA) officials have confirmed the news.
Cummins will be supported by new vice-captain Steve Smith, who returns to a formal leadership role for the first time since losing the captaincy during the Newlands ball-tampering scandal in 2018, according to Reuters’ sources.
As former skipper Paine’s vice-captain, Cummins was considered a shoo-in to replace the wicketkeeper, who on Friday stepped away from all cricket to take a “mental health break” after damaging revelations of a ‘sexting’ scandal.
Cummins becomes only the second fast bowler to captain the side after Ray Lindwall, who led for one test against India in the mid-1950, CA officials told media.
“There is a couple of more unknowns about having a bowling captain, and that is why I think from the outset I was determined if I was captain to have someone like Steve as vice-captain next to me,” Cummins told reporters from the team’s Gold Coast base.
“I feel like I have got quite a lot of experience to draw on. I think a lot of the problems or potential issues around being a fast bowling captain, hopefully — I am sure we will be able to work through.”
Popular, telegenic and amiable in public, Cummins becomes captain a decade after his sensational test debut as an 18-year-old, when he took a seven-wicket match haul at the Wanderers to help beat South Africa.
Due to injuries, he had to wait nearly six years for his next test but now tops the world’s test bowling rankings.
The appointment of Cummins was hailed by former players of the Australia Cricket Team and pundits, but Smith’s promotion, coming three years after ‘Sandpaper-gate’, did not sit well with some. Especially, former spinner Shane Warne was utterly opposed to Smith’s promotion by saying, “it is quite a ridicule”.
It is to be added; Smith served a 12-month ban from international, and a two-year ban from leadership roles completed last year.
