Bowling no obstacle to Test captaincy: Dodemaide

Pat Cummins' position as a fast bowler won't be held against him as a potential successor to Tim Paine as Australia's Test captain, says new men's national selector Tony Dodemaide.

Cummins, 28, the current vice-captain, skippered NSW in the Marsh Cup earlier this year and looms as one of the main candidates to follow Paine.

The responsibility of captaincy is often perceived as too much of an additional burden for Test fast bowlers, given their heavy workload.

The most recent example of an Australian paceman to perform the duty was Ray Lindwall, who captained a single Test in 1956.

Dodemaide, a former quick himself, said he wouldn't be blinkered by any preconceptions.

"I don't think any particular role in the team excludes someone from having a leadership position," Dodemaide told reporters on Tuesday.

"You want as many leaders or people that have leadership characteristics in a team, whether they've got the titles or not.

"I don't think that necessarily precludes any particular type of player.

"Tim's a great example of that himself.

"I think probably the view was a few years ago that it was too much to expect a keeper to be a captain as well and he's done a terrific job. 

"So no, absolutely no preconceived ideas at all coming into the role."

Dodemaide, who will finish his month's notice at Hockey One before starting his cricket duties in mid-November, joins chair George Bailey and coach Justin Langer on the three-man selection panel, with the Vodafone Ashes looming as his first major assignment.

"It's terrific that so many players are actually putting their hand up and at the start of an Ashes series you'd be disappointed if that wasn't the case," he said. 

"If you're an Australian cricketer and you've got a pulse you want to play in the Ashes and so it's really pleasing to see that players are putting their hand up around the country.

"For me, everyone starts with a clean slate, absolutely. There is a challenge in terms of opportunity, where the players at the moment do have that opportunity to put their hand up.

"I'm really hoping, particularly from a New South Wales and Victoria point of view, that those games materialise shortly so there is more of a chance for players to compete and put their name up."

Dodemaide said incumbent players were "there for a reason" but were no guarantee to hold their spots, and emphasised maintaining a balance of experience and next-generation talent.

"Experience is valuable to have there, there's no doubt about that, particularly in big games and big series," he said. 

"So that is important but I don't think incumbency gives a right as such. No one in my view, past or present, has the absolute right to be in the team.

"But certainly with those players that have proven that they can perform consistently at the level, that absolutely is taken into account. 

"Australian cricket's always been strong when there has been that really good core of experience in the team and there's also opportunity, which there needs to be, for younger players and the next generation of players to come through."

He stressed he wanted to "get to know" the players and his colleagues, and get up to speed with the lay of the land before making any definitive calls on the leadership coming through behind Paine.

"Up until now, like everybody else ... you look from afar," Dodemaide said.

"But I'm really conscious now that those opinions don't have the right information.

"I'd prefer to reserve judgement, I suppose, in terms of just knowing exactly where we are at the moment, getting to know the people better and then understanding who might be the best candidates for the role. 

"But certainly, I think Tim seems to me to be going really strongly at the moment and we're looking forward to a great summer coming up."

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