(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] World Cup 2023-winning captain and Australia star pacer Pat Cummins staunchly defended his team amid the ongoing five-match T20I series against India.
The Australian side has been immersed in continuous action in India since late September. While some World Cup-winning members, including Cummins, swiftly returned to Australia after their triumph, others remain in India for the T20I series.
In Cummins’ absence, Matthew Wade took the captaincy but struggled to make an impact, with the Men in Yellow suffering defeats in the first two games. They lost the first match by two wickets and the second by 44 runs.
Despite the presence of key players like Steve Smith, Adam Zampa, Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell and Sean Abbott from the World Cup-winning squad in the initial T20Is, Australia found themselves on the losing side.
Cummins, speaking at the Sydney Cricket Ground, emphasized the human aspect of the players still in action in India
“They’re humans, they’re not robots. Putting everything into a World Cup and then playing a couple of days later — I probably don’t begrudge them if they’re not at 100 percent,” said Cummins as quoted.
He continued to defend his team, highlighting the significance of these tours in providing opportunities for younger and less experienced players.
“These are still games for Australia and it’s great that these tours do provide opportunities for some of the younger guys, or guys who might not be in the first eleven. I think these are important tours and you can get a lot out of them,” he added.
Notably, Cricket Australia made a strategic decision to recall six players who were part of the World Cup-winning squad, excluding Travis Head, citing workload management. While Smith and Zampa have already returned from India, Maxwell, Stoinis, Inglis and Abbott are set to fly back on Wednesday.