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Cummins cool on vice-captain role

Aussies speedster deflects attention and says others better placed to be Tim Paine's deputy

Pat Cummins has played down talk of him being Australia's Test vice-captain, claiming there are better candidates in the national set-up.

The 25-year-old has been one of Australia's leading players since returning to the Test team a year ago in India. Indispensable across all formats, he has impressed with his pace, stamina and resilience as well as his ability to take wickets with the old ball and new and add handy runs with the bat.

It prompted former Test skipper Michael Clarke to label him a future Test captain, and the upheaval in Australia's playing ranks following the ball tampering-scandal has advanced those discussions.

Wicketkeeper Tim Paine has been named Test and One-Day skipper, and Cummins' name has been thrown up as a possible option as Test deputy.

But the grueling workload of fast bowling has the 25-year-old wary of the extra responsibilities of the vice-captain.

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"I feel like I'm in a really good place at the moment with my cricket and where I sit in the team, but I'm really not sure what a vice-captain role would involve," Cummins told cricket.com.au.

"I haven't been in that kind of position for a long time. First and foremost, I wouldn't want it to affect my cricket.

"I don't have huge aspirations. I think if it came up and I was wanted then I'd think about it but I reckon there's some better options in the team at the moment.

"I think Joshy Hazlewood would make a great leader and he's already a senior man around the team.

"You've got Mitch Marsh, Pete Handscomb and Uzzie Khawaja who are all state captains, Nathan Lyon has played 80-odd Tests.

"We've got plenty of leaders around the group."

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Cummins said he was honoured to be in the discussion, but worried his primary duty as a pace spearhead would take away from his ability to be a vice-captain.

"I feel like, especially the Test matches I've played, I'm always pretty cooked out on the field," Cummins said.

"I bowl my overs then all I'm thinking about is trying to get right for my next spell, not thinking too much about the bigger picture.

"Then once I'm off the field I'm just worried about firstly relaxing and then getting my head around batting."

Cummins' stocks as a potential vice-captain rose when he was named alongside skipper Paine as a panelist to help create a new charter for player behavior.

Cummins and Paine are the current Test players on the panel that will be chaired by former Test batsman Rick McCosker. CA outlined their mandate as creating "a behavioural charter for the Australian men’s cricket teams that balances the performance demands of elite cricket with expectations of all Australians in regard to on and off-field role modelling".

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Cummins said he was "surprised" to get picked to be involved, but delighted that his opinions and input carry enough weight and respect to feature.

He and Paine are joined on that panel by Shane Watson and George Bailey, Australia women's team member Rachel Haynes and new men's coach Justin Langer, who recently outlined his views on picking a vice-captain.

"My view has always been that the captain – and this might be a little controversial – should have a pretty big say in who the vice-captain (is)," Langer told Melbourne radio station SEN last week.

"You need to know as captain, or any leader, that your lieutenants have got your back and you trust them."

A vice-captain for the Test series is expected to be named in the lead up to Australia's next engagement in the five-day format, a two-Test series against Pakistan in the UAE in September.