"I'm not going to please everyone" - Pat Cummins unfazed by criticism around his captaincy
Australian captain Pat Cummins remains unfazed by criticism at his captaincy following the drawn fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford in Manchester. The 30-year-old underlined that one understands the need to have a thick skin to handle everything.
With Australia escaping a near-certain defeat in Manchester to retain the Ashes, Cummins' tactics came under fire as the tourists played catch-up cricket. It all began with the tourists' dismal performance with the bat after losing the toss in friendly batting conditions.
Several former Australian bowlers blamed the New South Wales bowler's tactics and field placings behind England gaining a 275-run lead.
Ahead of the final Ashes Test starting on Thursday, the former No. 1 ranked bowler said that people can have opinions, but it's not his job to please everyone.
"A few things have come across my desk from the boys having a laugh. I've been in this job two years now, and you learn pretty quickly you've got to have a thick skin. I'm not going to please everyone, and everyone's got opinions. But they aren't facts; they're opinions."
The right-arm pacer also struggled with the ball in the fourth Test, managing only one wicket, giving away 129 runs in 23 overs. Former Australian cricketer Darren Berry went on to predict that the 30-year-old will step down as captain after the Ashes, given how rattled he looked.
"I feel like with each game I'm getting better" - Pat Cummins
Cummins asserted that he has a lot more to give the Australian team as captain and that experience within the group is his greatest strength. He said:
"I feel like with each game I'm getting better. There's a fair bit more left in me. The biggest asset we have is the experience of the group, and that's not going to be around forever. We're very individualised in how we let everyone be themselves and do it their way.
"Some of that's down to the fact that we've got guys that have played 100 Test matches, or 15 years of first-class cricket. If there's new guys in, maybe you need to shift that a little bit. It's exciting, that's what I like about the job."
While Australia have retained the urn, they're also keen to register their first series win on English soil since 2001. They will do so by avoiding defeat in the fifth Test, which starts in London on Thursday (July 27).