"If we’re fully fit, then we won’t be rested” - Pat Cummins dismisses the idea of pacers being on break during the home season
Australia captain Pat Cummins has dismissed the idea of pacers being rotated in the team's upcoming home season. The Aussies have had a hectic 2023 so far, with major tournaments like Ashes and the ODI World Cup claiming the spotlight among several key bilateral series as well.
The trio of Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood have all battled injuries at some point or the other over the course of the year, but have produced results when it mattered the most.
Australia are scheduled to play two home Test series against Pakistan and West Indies as part of the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. As usual, the spotlight shifts to the illustrious pace trio when the prospect of red-ball cricket in Australia is considered.
Despite Australia having groomed a good pool of backup pacers like Michael Neser, Scott Boland, and Jhye Richardson, they are likely to proceed with the first-choice trio, if they are available and fit.
While presenting the World Cup title at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Cummins said:
“You’re always dealing with something as a bowler. When your hamstring starts to feel good, you suddenly feel pain somewhere else in your body and then you wake up the next day and it’s moved somewhere else in your body. Realistically, the words ‘rested’ and ‘rotated’ gets thrown around a lot, but you never miss a Test if you’re fully fit."
“While the last couple of years we might have been rested for the odd game, the bulk of work that we’ve been able to do (has helped). Potentially (it may happen), but if we’re fully fit, then we won’t be rested," he added.
Starc also spoke about workload and the transition from white-ball to red-ball cricket. The left-arm pacer featured in the latter half of the Ashes with an injury but played the entirety of Australia's triumphant World Cup campaign.
“The mind and the body know what time of year it is.Particularly for Josh, Pat and I, it’s been done for a few summers now. It’s either been a quick transition between white ball to red ball or coming off a winter tour to summer," he explained.
“It’s nothing new to us, likewise for Smithy (Steve Smith) and Davey (David Warner) who have done it for a long time as well. The preparation is different every year depending on where you’ve come from and what’s coming up, but for Pat and I, it’s a few sessions of bowling and maybe a few rounds of golf and then off to Perth,” Starc continued.
Australia's home season kickstarts with the first Test against Pakistan from December 14 onwards.
"They’re humans. They’re not robots" - Pat Cummins on the decision to withdraw seniors from T20I squad in India
According to reports, Cricket Australia (CA) has decided to recall Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Sean Abbott midway through the five-match T20I series against India. The trio of Ben McDermott, Josh Philippe, and Chris Green will be flown in as replacements for the remaining three matches.
Several of the Australian T20I squad members were involved in the 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, and are understandably physically and mentally fatigued.
On the decision to change some of the squad personnel, Cummins said:
“These are still games for Australia and it’s great that these tours do provide opportunities for some of the younger guys or guys who might not be in the first XI. I think these are important tours and you can get a lot out of them. But they’re humans. They’re not robots."
"Putting everything into a World Cup and then playing a few days later, I don’t begrudge them (for coming home),” he added.
Australia will take on India in the third T20I at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday.