Australia Test captain Pat Cummins threw his weight behind David Warner for the vacant ODI captaincy. The fast bowler said Warner has been one of the leaders in the side and he would be open to sharing captaincy responsibilities with Warner.
Following Aaron Finch’s retirement from the fifty-over format, Australia needs to find a replacement for leading the side, less than a year away from the ODI World Cup.
Speaking on the eve of Australia’s first warm-up game against India, Cummins acknowledged that playing every game in every format is not plausible for multi-format players and suggested having a leadership committee – with roles shared would be a good idea.
“(It is) something I’d be open to. Playing every single game isn’t realistic. It would be really seamless if you had a committee. The style of just about everyone in the team is really similar. We’ve got some great leaders in the team, we all get along great,”
said Cummins.
Warner was handed a lifetime leadership ban after the 2018 sandpaper gate scandal but the reports are coming that Cricket Australia is looking to overturn his ban on the grounds of good behaviour and growth.
Cummins endorsed Warner as the captaincy candidate, citing that there are a few hurdles surrounding Warner’s ban but if they are removed, the players and coaching staff would be fully behind him.
“He’d be awesome at it. He’s a leader around our group. Always has been, always will be. He’s someone in the Test side I lean on a lot. If things change, I’m sure he would be someone you would strongly consider to step up if needed,”
Cummins added.
Ahead of the T20 World Cup, Cummins defended captain Finch who has been going through a rough form, having managed only one fifty in the last 10 innings. Cummins believes it’s a big tournament for him and the opener will come good.
