‘It gave me great satisfaction to silence the millions of fans at the stadium in Ahmedabad,’ these were the words spoken by Australian cricket team captain Pat Cummins after defeating India in the World Cup final, but his words were filled with a sense of superiority. The expression cannot be explained because Cummins is not a typical Australian captain.
A captain who plays with the minds of the opponents
Captains like Mark Taylor, Alan Border, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke in the 1990s and 2000s learned the art of playing with opposing players as well as opposing minds.
These were the captains who would throw phrases at a particular player or target a batsman in good form to distract the opposition.
So how is Cummins different?
Cummins became a standout captain because he said, “I believe in focusing on winning rather than wasting time lashing out at opponents.”
It should be noted that no such complaint has come up against Pete Cummins in the world of cricket so far.
In the final match as well, Pat Cummins showed his traditional captaincy for 15 overs but when the partnership of Virat Kohli and Rahul broke, Cummins suddenly got excited but till then he kept a serious face on the field.
Ponting and Cummins
In an interview before the World Cup semi-final against South Africa in 2007, Ricky Ponting said, “Jacques Kelis is a good player and has a great record, but he won’t be able to do anything against us.” If our plan is successful, we will defeat Calais.
Ricky Ponting often tried to belittle opposing players, but Cummins never used words about a player from the opposing team that gave the impression that he was disrespecting anyone.
Even when the Indian batsmen were getting out in the final, Cummins did not give any negative impression even on his face as he passed by them.
The ‘accidental’ captain
Cummins became Australia’s captain ‘accidentally’. He took over from a controversial Tim Paine and then led Australia to victory in the World Test Championship.
Cummins is the first fast bowler to captain Australia in Tests in 65 years since Ray Lindwall.
By the time he was made the captain, he had captained the team in only four one-day matches. At that time, there was criticism that the cricket board made a player who has no experience in the important World Cup series as the captain.
After that, when Australia lost the first two matches, the pressure increased on Cummins, but after the initial defeat, Cummins’ plan proved to be perfect. Along with captaincy, his bowling also improved.
It is said that before the World Cup, the Australian team had prepared an individual sketch of each Indian player. What is Rohit Sharma’s weakness, how to get him out of the game, how to control Virat Kohli’s run rate and how to put pressure on KL Rahul.
It is said that a captain should not only plan but also execute. Cummins successfully completed all the plans and dismissed Rohit Sharma forcing him to play a big shot.
Similarly, extra fielders were deployed for Virat Kohli which made him impatient. After the first 10 overs, the rest of the match was completely under Australia’s control.
Cummins’ batting
Cummins is not only a good bowler but can also bat well when needed. In the first Test of the Ashes series, 281 runs were needed and Australia were 221 for eight when Cummins came on and scored an unbeaten 44 to guide the team to victory.
During the World Cup match against Afghanistan, Cummins supported Maxwell and scored only 12 runs from 68 balls but did not get out.
If Australia had lost this match, it would have been difficult for them to reach the final. As a captain, Cummins ensured that both bowling and batting performed in such a way that the team was successful.
Part of the team in youth
Cummins was only 18 when he made the Australian team in 2011. He lost the middle finger of his right hand when he got stuck in a door at an early age, but despite this he became a fast bowler, bowling right-handed.
Cummins filled the bowler slot when Ryan Harris retired. In 2017, six years later, his place in the team became permanent.
A different captain
Since becoming captain, Cummins has distinguished himself from other Australian captains. He is seen smiling all the time and is known for being gentle with his teammates.
It is said that they give complete freedom to the bowler as to what kind of bowling he wants and what kind of field he wants.
Coach Michael Hogan has played with Cummins. Cummins has a beautiful smile, he says. He is a champion player.
It’s rare that Cummins is seen driving the field under pressure or uncontrollable with joy. Their response is usually a smile. Cummins also doesn’t like to argue with opposing players or lash out at opposing batsmen, which has been an old and famous tradition in Australian cricket.
Abandoned alcohol party for Muslim player
Cummins is also known to often speak in defense of his teammates after a loss. He says that as a captain, he takes responsibility for the defeat himself and does not want to blame it on his teammates.
He also respects the feelings of his teammates. When the Australian team wanted to celebrate with alcohol on the occasion of the victory in the World Test Championship, Usman Khawaja, a Muslim player in the team, did not participate in the celebration due to his religious beliefs.
When Cummins saw this, he didn’t let his teammates celebrate with alcohol. This action of Cummins increased his respect and esteem in the hearts of all.
The captain showed his skills
Cummins’ talent came to the fore in this World Cup final. Cummins devised a different strategy for each player in the Indian team. He proved himself to be a great captain. According to him, it is not only important to make a strategy but to take it completely on the field and go ahead and win the cup.
Former captains like Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh and Taylor who led Australia in the World Cup are full of experience but Cummins was the only captain to lead an inexperienced team and win the trophy.
Speaking about Cummins’ captaincy, senior sports journalist Muthukumar said that Cummins’ statement that he would silence 100,000 fans was not a reflection of the dominant mindset.
He added that we should not misunderstand Cummins’ words. This is not a dominant mindset. Australia is naturally a sporting nation. The players there naturally talk to their opponents like this.