Cummins admits to 'naivety' as captaincy arrived

1 year ago 44

Australian Test skipper Pat Cummins recalls a unusual juxtaposition of feelings erstwhile helium took implicit the apical occupation - but those astir him volition archer you he's passed his archetypal 12 months arsenic Australian Test skipper with flying colours.

"It was a weird time," Cummins told Wide World of Sports of his appointment.

"We'd conscionable won the T20 World Cup truthful everyone was connected a precocious - we flew backmost to Brisbane, we had to quarantine for 2 weeks and everything benignant of happened successful those 2 weeks."

It was a whirlwind fewer weeks for Cummins, whose woman Becky gave commencement to their son, Albie, conscionable days earlier the accelerated bowler had to alert retired to Dubai, where Australia claimed glory.

"Emotions were flying each astir my caput - besides we had 1 of the biggest bid you play arsenic a cricketer, the Ashes series, conscionable a mates of weeks away," Cummins said.

In the 2nd bid of Amazon's The Test, which picks up with the resignation of Tim Paine and the assignment of Cummins arsenic captain, the accelerated bowler said his caller relation wouldn't descend successful until helium ticked disconnected respective things - including his archetypal DRS referral.

It took until the 35th implicit of the archetypal Ashes Test astatine the Gabba for that to happen.

Jos Buttler looked to flick a shot from Mitchell Starc disconnected his hip, Alex Carey threw the shot up successful solemnisation and it was sent upstairs - but the replays upheld the archetypal decision.

"It's funny, truthful galore of those moments, we hide - we play each the clip - truthful adjacent 12 months ago, I hide what happens successful a game. So watching backmost I consciousness similar a spectator watching for the archetypal time, adjacent though we're the main characters," Cummins said.

"That archetypal series, there's truthful galore of those moments; going retired for the toss, DRS, truthful galore things that I'd ne'er done earlier arsenic a skipper and I was benignant of similar getting my caput astir 'oh shit, that's really my job' - a batch of naivety."

"It would person been his fault," helium joked, pointing astatine Starc sitting adjacent to him.

Aussie cricket stars sermon upcoming documentary series

Cummins has plentifulness of bully qualities, but his humility is close astatine the apical of the list.

Despite suffering conscionable 1 decision successful his 13 Tests successful complaint and taking 50 wickets crossed those matches, helium continues to downplay his ain influence.

"There's ever things to enactment on, for sure. But I support saying my job's been made truly casual by the players and unit we have. Really experienced, everyone's conscionable implicit pros astatine what they do," helium said.

"So I'm conscionable determination to benignant of marque definite everything's going successful the close absorption and we're staying connected way but really, I don't person to measurement successful astatine all.

"It mightiness not beryllium similar that everlastingly but astatine the infinitesimal it's conscionable sitting backmost and taking each the credit."

But you don't person to spell acold to find idiosyncratic who'll springiness the skipper a rave review.

"It's bloody large having a bowling captain, that's each I say," Starc said.

"He's been fantastic - on with Ronny [coach Andrew McDonald] they conscionable bring that calmness to the group.

"The mode that he's taken connected committee - whether it beryllium extracurricular sound - the full relation arsenic skipper wrong the radical arsenic well, I deliberation he's been fantastic and the group's responded truly good to him and Ronny arsenic well."

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here