"He's gone beyond being a good captain" - Ian Chappell hails Pat Cummins after Australia's 2023 World Cup triumph
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell admitted that Pat Cummins has gone above and beyond in being a 'good' skipper. The South Australian reckons that the 30-year-old has vastly improved as a captain, allowing him to stay relevant.
Cummins created history in the 2023 World Cup by scripting Australia's 6th title victory, defeating India in front of a record crowd in Ahmedabad. The 30-year-old brought his A-game with the ball and as captain in the final, which earned him widespread praise.
Speaking to Wide World of Sports, here's what Chappell stated about Cummins' captaincy:
"I think he's gone beyond being a good captain, he's a very good captain. I probably thought he would be a good captain, now I think he's better than that, that's probably the surprise. If you don't develop as a captain you don't last very long. I thought right from the start that he'd be a good captain and it's turned out he's probably been better than I thought he'd be. I think he's been terrific."
The New South Wales cricketer started by making the brave call of fielding first in the final. He bowled perfectly on a slow and dry surface, finishing with impressive figures of 10-0-34-2, notably dismissing Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer.
"I think Pat's the most inspirational player in that Australian side" - Ian Chappell
Chappell also believes Cummins has been inspirational enough to lead the team's turnaround and have the players rally around him. He added:
"I've never had a coach, I don't believe in them. The fact the team had so much belief in itself, I think that's attributed to Pat Cummins, they had belief in him as a bowler, they also had belief in his captaincy. I think Pat's the most inspirational player in that Australian side, and has been for a number of years, I think that inspiration has seeped through to the team so I tend to think that the captain and the players are the ones that deserve the most credit."
Australia will next square off in a five-match T20I series against India, beginning on November 23rd.