"We thought his World Cup was over" - Pat Cummins recalls the 11th hour selection of Travis Head in the final Australian World Cup squad
Australian skipper Pat Cummins recalled the near non-selection of opener Travis Head for the 2023 World Cup and credited head coach Andrew McDonald for his 11th-hour selection.
Several questions were asked about Head being selected in the Australian World Cup squad despite sustaining an injury before the showpiece event. Head repaid the selectors', coach, and captain's faith with Player of the Match performances in the semi-final and the final to help Australia clinch their sixth ODI World Cup title.
At the press conference after the triumph, Cummins spoke about the brave call made by the Australian coach Andrew McDonald:
"The Trav Head one was, we thought his World Cup was over. It wasn't until about the next night afterwards [the injury] where Ronnie [coach Andrew McDonald] came up to me. He's like, 'I haven't slept all night, I think we're going to keep him. We're going to take the risk. He might be right for the Netherlands and then if we're going to make the finals and we want to win the World Cup I think he needs to be there for the finals."
Travis Head missed Australia's opening five games but returned in style against New Zealand, scoring a counter-attacking 109 off 67 deliveries.
The batting all-rounder also chipped in with two crucial wickets in addition to his half-century in the semi-final against South Africa before the match-winning 137 against India in the grand finale.
"I did fall in love with ODI [cricket] again this World Cup" - Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins further spoke about rediscovering his joy for ODI cricket again at the 2023 World Cup and called for more meaningful games to keep the format alive. Australia have won five of the last seven ODI World Cups, including the 2023 campaign.
With the future of ODIs likely to be discussed at the ICC Board meetings this week, the Aussie skipper threw his weight behind its existence.
"Maybe because we won, but I did fall in love with ODI [cricket] again this World Cup. I think the scenario where every game really matters, it does mean a bit different to just a bilateral. So yeah, I don't know. I mean, the World Cup's got such a rich history, I'm sure it's going to be around for a long time. There's so many wonderful games, so many wonderful stories within this last couple of months. So, I think there's definitely a place," said Cummins.
The survival of the 50-over format will face its staunchest challenge, with the next World Cup being in 2027. With the focus shifting to the T20 World Cup next year and the ever-growing popularity of the T20 Leagues around the world, the context for ODI games remains a massive question mark over the next 2-3 years.
India and Australia will immediately shift their focus to the five-match T20I series, starting at Vishakapatnam on Thursday, November 23.