"Keen to see if I'm any good" – Pat Cummins not thinking of Australia captaincy yet
Pat Cummins has admitted he is unsure about the prospect of becoming Australia’s captain in the future.
The fast bowler was pragmatic when asked the question, claiming he will see if he enjoys leading the New South Wales ODI side before staking a claim for the Australia captaincy role.
The 27-year-old is currently Australia’s vice-captain in all three formats of the game.
However, Pat Cummins has been touted as a potential option for the captaincy role, with Tim Paine’s leadership skills being questioned recently.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Pat Cummins said he was looking forward to the responsibility of leading the NSW Blues in the Marsh Cup, but stopped short of staking a claim for Australia’s captaincy position.
Though Cummins took over the Australia reins for a couple of practice matches in England last year, he hasn’t led a professional side since leading Penrith in the Green Shield as a 16-year-old.
“I don’t know is the answer. This opportunity is a huge one to actually give it a crack. It’s been under-16s since I’ve had a decent crack at it. Just keen to, first of all, see if I’m any good, or hopeless. If I enjoy it, see how it goes and then not looking too much further ahead than these few games.”
The Marsh Cup will see Pat Cummins lead the NSW ODI side for the first time.
“I’m sure I’ll have some conversations with selectors and other guys [to] see how I went and see what we want to do afterwards. But nothing is permanent or locked in. I think like batting and bowling, captaining can be a skill. You’ve got to practise. You’ve got to try and find your own method and I think the best method is by giving it a crack.”
Pat Cummins believes bowlers can become captains
While many have backed Pat Cummins’s as Australia's next Test captain, several others have been doubtful about the prospect of a fast bowler leading the side.
Former Australian cricketer Mark Taylor has been a vocal critic, claiming juggling the responsibility of being Australia’s No.1 bowler along with the captaincy could be too much for Pat Cummins.
But Cummins disagrees.
“No doubt there are a few more challenges about being a bowler, but also it brings some opportunities. You hope that our skill is trying to get wickets as a bowler and that’s a lot of the time what you’re trying to do as a captain out in the field.”
While he is confident in his abilities, Pat Cummins is also aware of the challenges he will face when he becomes the skipper.
“First of all, I’d say just not having a huge amount of experience and just managing that. I’m sure I’ll fall into a rhythm pretty quickly. I think the obvious one as a fast bowler is if it’s a really hot day and you’re trying to bowl flat out all day. It’s just making sure the game doesn’t meander on in those moments when you’re trying to catch your breath.”