"Would be surprised if that bubbled over" - Pat Cummins expects 2023 Ashes to take place in good spirits
Australian captain Pat Cummins doesn't expect verbal confrontations to take place or go over the top in the upcoming Ashes series, which starts on Friday (June 16) at Edgbaston in Birmingham despite plenty being at stake.
The 29-year-old said that their team's culture is not to be overly aggressive. While Australians have traditionally known to be aggressive, they have significantly toned things down since the Sandpapergate.
However, former captain Tim Paine invited criticism during the 2020 series against India for his unruly behaviour.
At a press conference on Thursday, Cummins said that there's bound to be emotions during the series but doesn't expect them to blow out of proportion. As quoted by Sky Sports, he said:
"Our team is pretty chilled out there. We are quite a confident bunch but not overly loud or in your face. I think you have seen our personality reflected out on the field. I am sure there is going to be emotion at times, but I would be surprised if that bubbled over, like maybe it has in the past."
The 2017-18 Ashes series in Australia saw some verbal altercations between James Anderson and Steve Smith. The headbutt incident, involving Jonny Bairstow also happened in that series.
"I am sure we will be presented with a lot of different problems throughout this series" - Pat Cummins
While Cummins expects Australia to encounter numerous challenges, the right-arm speedster reckons the conditions are still less foreign than the visitors had found in India.
"We are pumped that it's here. As soon as one series finishes, you are looking forward to the next one. This one, in particular, seems like it has a bit more on it. The whole cricketing world stops for a month to put their attention on it.
"I am sure we will be presented with a lot of different problems throughout this series. There will be surprises like there always are. But there are less unknowns than other tours - India's spinning wickets are probably more foreign than playing here."
Cummins has the opportunity to become only the second Australian captain after Steve Waugh (in 2001) to win the Ashes in England.