Australian skipper Pat Cummins has dropped a massive verdict on his availability ahead of the Pakistan vs Australia ODI series. The Sunrisers skipper is currently leading his side in the IPL, but he has set his priorities on Australian cricket.
Pat Cummins is often regarded as one of the most legendary captains in modern-day cricket. He has also been highly rated in franchise cricket, as he has been appointed the skipper by several franchises like the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Washington Freedom in the IPL and MLC, respectively.
"My priority is Australian cricket": Pat Cummins clarifies his stance on his International career
Pat Cummins has been asked to sideline Australian cricket to be part of several franchise teams, but he has turned down some massive investments in order to focus on a career in international cricket for Australia.
Cummins has claimed that his number 1 priority still stands firm with Australian cricket, and that is what he wishes to prioritize the most in his career. He has not led them in the two past ICC tournaments, the Champions Trophy and the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
"Nothing has changed for me; my priority is Australian cricket, No. 1, particularly Test cricket. As Test captain, I never want to miss any Test cricket and make myself available for as many Aussie games as I can," said the Australian skipper Cummins.
Pat Cummins: 'My priority is Australian cricket' pic.twitter.com/gP2yXjB9IY
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 20, 2026
Pat Cummins returned to lead Sunrisers Hyderabad into the IPL 2026 playoffs
Pat Cummins returned to the IPL 2026 after missing out on the first few matches with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Cummins came to India, flew back to Australia, and then returned with fitness under his belt.
Cummins has been leading by example, as under his guidance and supervision, the same Sunrisers bowling lineup that did not look in good form initially bounced back later in the contest. The pacer has picked up eight wickets in the 6 games for the Sunrisers since his return.
They have now finalized a spot in the playoffs, and SRH are likely looking forward to winning their next game in order to advance into the top 2 of the IPL 2026 points table.
Cummins likely to be absent from Pakistan series; sets eyes on a long red-ball season.
Australia have many exciting series scheduled for the Men in Yellow. Cummins is likely to be absent from the upcoming series against Pakistan, and once again, Mitchell Marsh is likely to lead them in the ODI series.
Cummins is likely to be absent from the series in order to regain fitness for the long red-ball season. He is also likely to be ruled out of the Bangladesh white-ball tour. They have a long red-ball tour against Bangladesh, followed by a series against South Africa and another long summer against New Zealand.
They will then fly back to India for a much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which would hand them a chance to make it to their third consecutive WTC final.
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