Pat Cummins may be an unusual captain, but he is on the verge of leading Australia to their second global title this year in the World Cup final against India in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Cricket teams are often reluctant to appoint fast bowlers like Cummins as their captain because they worry that the extra workload will distract him from taking wickets.
But Cummins, who took over the captaincy just days before the start of the 2021/22 Ashes following Tim Paine’s shock resignation following the ‘sexting’ scandal, still led Australia to a 4-0 series win over England.
Then in June this year, Cummins led Australia to a crushing 209-run defeat of India in the World Test Championship final at The Oval.
Cummins also does not fit the ‘macho’ image of the Australian captain established by tough captains like Ian Chappell, Allan Border and Steve Waugh, although the fast bowler was accused of plotting the downfall of similarly gritty former coach Justin Langer .
“I will play with a strong edge…the Kiwis (New Zealand), they are the ones who play goody-two-shoes,” Border said after India’s defeat in the second Test in Delhi this year.
Meanwhile, Cummins’ membership of the ‘Cricket for Climate’ group led to suggestions that he had influenced Cricket Australia to drop its sponsorship deal with energy company Alinta – a charge both he and his bosses denied.