Pat Cummins Thankful To Brendon McCullum For Picking Him In IPL 2020 Auction
May 10, 2020 at 11:52 AM
Australian pacer Pat Cummins didn’t play the last season of the Indian Premier League(IPL) but he was bought for whopping money of INR 15.50 Crore by Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) for the impending IPL 2020. On Friday, Cummins thanked the KKR coach Brendon McCullum to bag his service for the 13th edition.
Cummins, who is the most expensive overseas buy in the IPL’s history, has played for KKR in 2014 and 2015. He was again ready to don the jersey of KKR this year, but because of the pandemic, the lucrative league has been postponed indefinitely. IPL 2020 was earlier scheduled to start from 29th March.
In the recent interview with KKR, the 27-year-old said that he owed a few dinners to Brendon McCullum and other staff members to thank them for picking him.
“I owe Baz (McCullum) and the rest of the staff who picked me a few dinners at least. Someone like Baz, I have played against him, is a great cricketer and an international captain,” the Aussie star pacer, who turned 27 on Friday, said in an interview on KKR website.
Pat Cummins on the no use of saliva post-COVID-19:
The current topic which is being debated in the game of cricket is whether to use saliva or artificial substances on the ball post-COVID-19.
Bowlers use saliva and sweat to shine the ball, but now these natural substances have become the carrier of the virus. Thus, ICC is considering to use artificial substances like vaseline or sandpaper on the ball.
Cummins, who has played 30 Test matches, says that he is ready to use artificial substances because he didn’t want to give whole advantage to the batsman. He also counted the drawbacks for bowlers if they didn’t shine the ball.
“Things will change in all sports, I agree. But I think there has to be some other option. Saliva or any another substance, as long as we are able to shine the ball, I am okay,” the ICC Test player of the year said.
“As a fast bowler, you gotta be able to shine the ball. The reason why everyone loves Test cricket is because it has so much art to it. You have swing bowlers, spinners, you have all these different aspects that make Test cricket what it is.
“I think if you can’t shine the ball, it takes away swing bowling, reverse swing bowling…so much really. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to give batsmen any reason to score more runs.”
Currently, Pat Cummins is spending time in his farmhouse during the lockdown because of the coronavirus. He is practising and getting prepared for the upcoming matches in future.