Pat Cummins Is Putting Himself In Category Of Kapil Dev, Imran Khan - Ian Chappell

Former Australian cricketer Ian Chappell heaped rich praise on captain Pat Cummins for his performances as a leader and bowler in the  ICC World Cup 2023. He said that the Australian skipper is putting himself in the elite bracket of Kapil Dev and Imran Khan.

Pat Cummins had had a terrific 2023 both as a leader as well as a bowler. The lanky pacer has led from the front and has taken his team to glory. Under him, the team won the ICC World Test Championship Final and then retained the Ashes against England away from home.

If this was not enough Australia won ICC World Cup 2023 under his leadership as well. They defeated India in the final and bagged their 6th title. Pat Cummins was spot on with his fielding and bowling changes as he put the opposition under tremendous pressure.

Pat Cuminns stepped up big time for his team as he produced timely blows for his team and helped them win. The Australian captain received a lot of praise for his heroics from various experts and the latest to join the bandwagon is Ian Chappell.

Writing in his column for ESPNCricinfo, Ian Chappell highlighted that Pat Cummins proved himself as the leader in the white-ball format as well. He admitted that the pacer exceeded his expectations. He explained:

“Cummins has not only proved himself a worthy Test captain, his leadership has now expanded and he is also successful in 50-overs cricket. I thought he’d be a good captain, but he has exceeded my expectations.

“By performing well as a captain in different countries and formats and in a variety of conditions, Cummins is putting himself in that category. Only Imran of that trio – an excellent leader of great presence – played in an era of rapidly growing limited-overs cricket.”

I’d put Pat Cummins in the same bracket as Mark Waugh and Anil Kumble – Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell further added that he would put Pat Cummins in the same bracket as Mark Waugh and Anil Kumble, who were fierce competitors. He also pointed out how he won the captaincy battle with Ben Stokes during the Ashes 2023. He added:

“I’d put Cummins in the same bracket as Mark Waugh and Anil Kumble – fierce competitors who convey their intentions purely by their actions. Shooting your mouth off doesn’t make you a tough player; quite often, it’s exactly the opposite.

“There’s no doubt he has had his challenges as captain. His battle with Ben Stokes – an excellent captain – was one such instance. Cummins’ captaincy experience will be improved by the intense skirmish with Stokes.”

Pat Cummins will now be seen in action when Australia will take on Pakistan in the Test series, starting 14th December.