Pat Cummins is the best bowler in the world, says Tim Paine
Australian speedster Pat Cummins was in the news very recently as he became the most expensive overseas signing in IPL history. Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders paid a whopping sum of INR 15.5 crores to bag the services of the Aussie speedster. The last two years have been the best for Cummins. Rising through the ranks, Cummins has gone on to become one of the finest modern-day bowlers across all formats.
The 26-year-old who is currently the top-ranked bowler in Tests recently became the 2nd fastest Australian fast bowler to bag 100 Test wickets. The record is held by Charlie Turner. Given his exceptional form across formats, Aussie Test skipper Tim Paine rated him as the best in the world at the moment.
"He is clearly the best bowler in the world, his stats will probably back that up. Not just for one series, or one Test, or two Tests here or there, he has done it every game," Paine was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
"I think he is getting better with experience as well, I think you are noticing he is not always bowling high-140s anymore, which is a great, great attribute and skill," he added.
Cummins was at his phenomenal best during the Ashes when he bagged 27 wickets in the 5 match series at an exceptional average of 19.62. After a relatively quiet series against Pakistan, the speedster came back with a bang and was instrumental in ensuring Australia registered a convincing 296 runs victory in the opening Test against New Zealand.
With Australia slated to host the T20 World Cup in October next year, Cummins' stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders becomes very important. While Australia will host the T20 World Cup in 2020, India will host the tournament in 2021. Playing 14 matches in India will definitely help him fine-tune his skill sets as suggested by head coach Justin Langer.