Cummins open to staying on as Australia ODI captain, eyes IPL return

Kolkata, Nov 14

Pat Cummins has expressed his willingness to continue as Australia's ODI captain after the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 while also having an intention to enter the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) auction as he is eyeing off next year's T20 World Cup.

Leading the team to seven consecutive victories following a shaky beginning of the 2023 Men's ODI World Cup has positioned the Australians for a shot at their sixth men's ODI title. This streak has also strengthened the argument for him to persist in the role, which he assumed last year following Aaron Finch's decision to retire last year.

Asked if he could stay on as ODI captain after this tournament, Cummins expressed a potential interest in extending his tenure but admitted that coach Andrew McDonald and selection chief George Bailey will have the final call.

"We've been pretty open, me and Andrew and George around different times in the year you're going to have different priorities. This is a bit of a one-off year where there's three or four big off-season events," Cummins was quoted by Cricket.com.au.

"After here the focus shifts back to Test cricket for a fair while. Probably like we've done in the past, at times white-ball cricket is going to have to shift (as a priority) so we fully focus on Test cricket. There's no end date in sight.

"I feel like I've been managed really well and looked after in a really, really busy year where you don't really want to give up any cricket," he added.

Cummins also expressed his desire to show he remains in Australia's best side for next year's T20 World Cup by playing in the IPL will also be a consideration.

Cummins pulled out of his A$1.34 million IPL contract with Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this year, citing a 2023 schedule that has included an India Test tour, the World Test Championship final, the Ashes and now an ODI World Cup.

"I feel like I haven’t played a heap of T20 cricket and in some ways I feel like I haven’t played my best T20 cricket for a little while.

"I'm really excited, I'm probably going to go into the IPL auction for next year to try to get some games before that World Cup and push a case to not only make the side but get back to how I feel like I can bowl in T20 cricket," he said.

After Finch's departure the captaincy of the T20 side opened up and the Mitch Marsh appears the frontrunner after impressing in the role during the recent South Africa series.

"Hopefully playing in it. Captaining, I don't really know," Cummins said of the T20 World Cup. "Marshy did a fantastic job in South Africa, so we'll wait and see."

Australia will take on South Africa in the second semi-final on November 16 At Eden Gardens in Kolkata.