3 Reasons Why Pat Cummins Is Destined To Fail In The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022
Published - 18 Oct 2022, 08:24 PM | Updated - 23 Oct 2024, 12:23 PM
Australia will be hoping to defend the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 title with Aaron Finch leading the side at the showpiece event. The Aussies face their first assignment against neighbours New Zealand on October 22.
Finch will have a task cut out after suffering a series loss to India and England right before the start of the mega-event. Also with injury issues and speculations surrounding the Playing XI, let’s take a look at 3 reasons why Aussie Test skipper Pat Cummins might face an uphill task to put his best foot forward in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.
The Pressure of defending the T20 World Cup title
Pat Cummins, the Australian Test skipper, is also a vital member of the T20I team. Being the host nation and having the country’s expectations to retain the title on their own soil is enthralling but the pressure surrounding it can always creep up to the best of the players.
While Pat Cummins will lead the bowling department, it will be extremely crucial for him to not get weighed down by the pressure and to play his natural game. The Aussie bowling attack is an experienced one.
The trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have tasted success in the past in the shortest format and will look to replicate the same in the T20 World Cup 2022 as well.
Cummins so far has 46 T20I wickets to his name at an average of 24.15 and has done a crucial job of bowling crucial overs at times in the recent past for Australia.
Pat Cummins will have to shoulder extra responsibilities owing to injury concerns
The ongoing fitness concerns surrounding key all-rounders Mitch Marsh and Marcus Stoinis and a recent injury to veteran opener David Warner have all given selectors plenty to ponder, but the Aussies will enter the tournament – barring any future injury – with the same 15 players they announced.
Marsh was an integral part of Australia’s successful T20 World Cup campaign last year, but has been battling an ongoing ankle complaint and hasn’t bowled in a T20I match since June.
However, the injury concerns mean that Pat Cummins will have to take the weight of added responsibility in the bowling department and lead from the front to manage the workload of other Aussie bowlers.
Maintaining peak fitness will be a challenge for the Australian pacer
Australia’s entire first-choice bowling attack missed the first T20 against England amid an intense pre-World Cup schedule for the men’s T20 side. Cricket Australia confirmed Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell would all remain on the east coast following Friday’s second Dettol T20I against West Indies at the Gabba.
Coming off such a tight schedule and then playing in a multi-national event can take a toll on the best of players and Pat Cummins will have to be extra aware to not incur any mishaps during the World Cup.
The health of Australia’s death bowling too has come under some scrutiny, but in T20Is this year, with an economy rate of 9.85, they compare favourably to the other World Cup participants.
While Mitchell Starc was rested for the India tour, a number of options were employed in the final overs against India, despite the fact that three of them Cameron Green, Daniel Sams, and Nathan Ellis are not in the World Cup lineup.
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