Australian pace machine Pat Cummins has been officially appointed as the New Test skipper. He has now become the 47th Australian Test Captain and Steve Smith has been named as the deputy ahead of the Ashes series which will start from December 8th at Brisbane.
After the announcement, he has become the first fast bowler to captain Australia Full time and also the 1st bowler since Richie Benaud to lead the country. Cummins has done the deputy duties for almost two years and now he is all set to take the leadership role from Tim Paine.
Pat Cummins has expressed his happiness and said – “I am honored to accept this role ahead of what will be a massive Ashes summer. I hope I can provide the same leadership Tim (Paine) has given the group in the past few years. With Steve and I as captains, a number of very senior players in this squad, and some great young talent coming through we are a strong and tightly-knit group. This is an unexpected privilege which I am very grateful for and am very much looking forward to.”
Both Cummins and Smith have been appointed in an interview process with a 5 members panel and they have made the final decision of picking both the players as captain and vice-captain of the Test side. The five-member panel consists of Selectors George Bailey, Tony Dodemaide, Mel Jones, Richard Freudenstein, and CEO Nick Hockley.
In a press Interview, Smith said – “I am pleased to return to the leadership of the team and look forward to helping and assisting Pat in any way I can. Pat and I have played together for a long time, so we know our respective styles well. We are also great friends, as is the whole group. As a team, we want to play good, positive cricket and also really enjoy each other’s company. There are exciting times ahead as we focus on the Ashes and beyond,”
Even Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said – “Pat is an outstanding player and leader. He has earned enormous respect from his teammates and from all corners of the game for his attitude and achievements, both on and off the field. We are extremely fortunate to have an experienced group of senior players who themselves are superb leaders. I have no doubt that Pat and Steve will be well supported in their respective leadership roles,”
