George Bailey downplayed Pat Cummins’ participation in MLC and revealed crucial plans for the skipper.
Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins’ decision to play in the Major League Cricket (MLC) for San Francisco Unicorns has caused a minor disruption in the national team’s plans. Cummins was expected to take a break after the T20 World Cup and was not included in the upcoming series against England and Scotland. However, his participation in the MLC created an obvious hindrance in that schedule.
Australia’s chief selector, George Bailey, however, downplayed the significance of this change. He acknowledged the past year’s demanding schedule for Cummins, who played in the Ashes, ODI World Cup, IPL, and T20 World Cup. Bailey believes the extra MLC matches (around 18-19 days) will not significantly impact the overall plan.
“This is something we’ve been planning with him for about a year. We prioritize certain series, and he’s crucial as our leader. This was the gap. The MLC opportunity came up late. In the bigger picture, it’s just an extra two or three weeks for him,” Bailey said, according to Yahoo Sport.
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Bailey emphasized the importance of preparing Cummins for the upcoming Australian summer, which includes a crucial five-match Test series against India. This series could determine Australia’s place in the World Test Championship final.
“We’re building him up for the busy Australian summer. He’ll need to work on a couple of things physically. He’s played a lot, and this is a chance for him to be fully prepared for the next block of matches. We constantly discuss this with our players, especially multi-format players like Pat,” concluded Bailey speaking about his plans with Pat Cummins.
Notably, Pat Cummins has captured a staggering 269 wickets in just 62 matches at an average of 22.53. His economy rate of 2.88 is equally commendable. Cummins is also a wicket-taking threat in ODIs, claiming 141 wickets in 88 matches at an average of 28.66. However, his economy rate in ODIs is slightly higher at 5.29. In the T20 format, Cummins has 66 wickets in 57 matches at an average of 23.57 and an economy rate of 7.44.
Last Updated on July 17, 2024
