Australia's marathon man embraces white-ball focus

Having for so long been cursed by serious injury, Pat Cummins has transformed himself into world cricket’s marathon man.

Back in South Africa where he famously made his Test debut as a teenager in 2011, Cummins will again lead Australia’s pace attack in their series-deciding T20 against South Africa at Newlands on Thursday morning (3am AEDT).

The 26-year-old has flagged he may be rested at some stage over the next month, when Australia will play ODIs against the Proteas as well as New Zealand before a short T20 tour across the Tasman in late March.

And despite having had three weeks off before this campaign, no one in world cricket deserves a break more than Cummins.

Since returning to Australia’s Test side almost three years ago, the right-armer has bowled nearly 8500 balls in international cricket, more than any fast bowler in the world in that time.

Since March 2017, South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada (7824) and England’s Stuart Broad (7079) are the only quicks who come anywhere near Cummins’ mind-blowing tally of 8468 deliveries in 71 matches across all formats.

Cummins faces another busy winter this year with up to 26 international games pencilled in between now and the start of the T20 World Cup in October, plus the Indian Premier League in April and May.

But having played 29 of Australia’s 31 Test matches in the past three years, Cummins says this year’s heavy focus on limited-overs cricket makes the schedule a far less daunting proposition.

“There’s lots of cricket, but the good thing is a lot of it is white-ball cricket, which is a bit easier than Test matches,” he said in Cape Town.

“I’ve played a bit of each format over the years, but it feels like especially this white-ball period, I can just concentrate on the white ball.

“(It) might not sound like a big deal, but for the bowlers it means every training session we can work on our slower balls and our yorkers and things that you don’t really practice when you’re playing a lot of red-ball cricket.

“I feel really well equipped, I feel like I’ve been training really well. The body is loving only bowling four overs. And I had a bit of a break leading into this tour as well so at the moment it’s all going to plan.”

Australia commence a three-match one-day series against the Proteas on Saturday and are expected to name their squad on Wednesday for the upcoming home Gillette ODI series against New Zealand. 

Cummins said he and Australia’s medical staff will soon map out a plan for those six games, which will determine whether or not he’ll be given another short break.

“We’ll speak about managing me and a couple of the other quicks throughout,” he said. “But at the moment, I’m happy to play.”

The IPL also looms large for Cummins this year after he signed a record-breaking $3.17 million deal to re-join to the Kolkata Knight Riders.

A return to the world’s premier T20 competition is a no-brainer for Cummins in a World Cup year, and he said his enormous price tag has not brought with it any added expectation.

“In terms of added pressure, I don’t think so,” he said. “You’ve got a lot of pressure on wherever you play.

“In India, you’re going to have 100,000 people cheering for you or against you whatever your contract is.

“The more you play of anything, the better you feel. Especially T20 cricket, you work out your plans for what’s working for you, whether it’s slower balls or certain fields.”

Most balls bowled in international cricket since March 16, 2017

Nathan Lyon – 10444

Patrick Cummins – 8468

Kagiso Rabada – 7824 

Stuart Broad – 7079

Ravindra Jadeja – 6957

Jason Holder – 6717  

Australia's Qantas Tour of South Africa 2020

Australia T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitch Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D'Arcy Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Australia ODI squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (vc), Pat Cummins (vc), Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Kane Richardson, D'Arcy Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

First T20: Australia won by 107 runs

Second T20: South Africa won by 12 runs

Third T20: February 26 at Cape Town. 3am AEDT (Feb 27), Fox Cricket & Kayo

First ODI: February 29 at Paarl (D/N). 10pm AEDT, Fox Cricket & Kayo

Second ODI: March 4 at Bloemfontein (D/N). 10pm AEDT, Fox Cricket & Kayo

Third ODI: March 7 at Potchefstroom. 7pm AEDT, Fox Cricket & Kayo