Australian pacer Pat Cummins is confident to handle the upcoming World Cup pressure. However, he has no clear plan for maintaining the workload during that tournament.
The 25-year-old pacer Pat Cummins has now grown up as an essential player for Australia. As Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc have missed many recent matches due to their fitness issues, Pat Cummins has played a crucial role for the national team.
While Pat Cummins is currently the no.1-ranked Test bowler, the right-arm pacer is also in great form in the white-ball cricket. Recently, during the India tour, he finished as the leading wicket-taker in the five-match ODI series. While Australia incredibly won the series by 3-2, Pat Cummins picked up 14 wickets with an average of 15.71.
Earlier, Pat Cummins also faced many fitness issues that affected his cricket career. However, the right-arm pacer is hopeful of managing the upcoming World Cup pressure and the subsequent Ashes series.
He said, “The World Cup is really busy but it’s about two games a week. Hopefully (I) can manage all that.”
I got no idea how we’re going to work out the World Cup schedule
England and Wales will host the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup from 30th May to 14th July. A total of 10 teams will participate in this competition while each side will have to play one match against all other participating teams. After the end of the round-robin stage, the top four teams in the final points table will qualify for the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals will meet in the final of the tournament on 14th July at Lord’s.
Soon after the completion of that tournament, England will host the 2019 Ashes series. England and Australia will play the five-match Test series from 1st August to 16th September.
Pat Cummins believes that the upcoming World Cup will not be an easy journey. However, he has no plan for the busy World Cup schedule yet.
He added, “I got no idea how we’re going to work out the World Cup schedule. I think it is going to be one of those World Cup where you do need a whole squad of 15 playing and firing because it’s nine ODIs in (five) weeks. It’s going to be quite a big ask.”
Pat Cummins’ present focus
As Australia has a busy schedule in the upcoming English summer, Pat Cummins is giving importance to his fitness and bowling skills.
He said, “I found in the last couple of years I’ve got a bit better, especially opening the bowling I’m always trying to swing the ball. When I’m swinging the ball, my action tends to be where I want it to be.
“I was jumping in a lot. Whether it’s trying to bowl too fast and get a little more out of my action – I tend to jump in anyway but I was really jumping in (a lot) and my left leg was swinging all the way across and flicking around (my) body. It might get you an extra ‘k’ (kilometre of pace) or two but normally lose my seam and things like that. It’s about trying to get a little bit straighter and stick my arm up nice and straight.
“That’s going to be something I’m going to keep an eye on with the bowling coaches in England over the next few months.”
Since his international cricket debut in October 2011, Pat Cummins has played 87 international matches. He has played 20 Tests, 47 ODIs and 20 T20Is (updated till 26th March 2019) where he has picked up 94, 79 and 25 wickets respectively.