"You will see him grow again" - Andrew McDonald impressed with Pat Cummins' evolution as captain
Australian men's team's head coach Andrew McDonald expects Pat Cummins to keep growing as a captain in the coming years after a stellar 2023. The former Australian all-rounder acknowledged Cummins' inevitable struggles at the start of his captaincy and feels players only grow as leaders on the job.
Cummins has had a dream year as a player and captain despite Australia losing two consecutive Tests in India earlier this year. Moving forward, the 30-year-old led Australia to the World Test Championship, helped them retain the Ashes, and guided the team to their sixth 50-over World Cup win. The year will end with the men in yellow registering a Test series win over Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, McDonald said that Pat Cummins has been "sound" in all aspects in the last few years, helping him grow exponentially. As quoted by Fox Sports, he elaborated:
"I think anytime you start your captaincy regime, you’re never going to be at your best. You are going to learn and grow across the journey. But in terms of as a player, I think he’s probably held where he’s been at for two-three years. His body’s been sound. He has had the opportunity to play a lot of cricket and his performance execution as a player over the last two years has been outstanding. But as a leader, he has definitely grown and I think you will see him grow again.”
The 2nd Test against Pakistan at MCG saw Pat Cummins bowl game-changing spells in both innings, finishing with 10 scalps and passing the 250 mark. His spell was especially decisive in the fourth innings when the visitors threatened to chase down 317. The skipper led the way for a 79-run win. Australia lead 2-0 with one match to go.
"He’s put a lot of the right levers" - Andrew McDonald on Pat Cummins
McDonald also observed that Pat Cummins is entirely open to suggestions from all the members of the side and lauded the decisions he has made over the last 12 months. He added:
"I think tactically, a lot of captains are maligned in hindsight, whether it’s right or wrong, what they’ve done. But I think that the most important thing is the planning and discussions you have leading into the decision making and he is really open with that. I think that’s the art of captaincy, to be consistent and connected with your playing group and your staff and have the ability to make the good decisions at the right time. And at the moment, the last 12 months, you’d say he’s put a lot of the right levers."
The 3rd and final Test against Pakistan begins on January 3 in Sydney.