Starc unfussed about skipper Cummins’ lack of preparation as he believes it does not take much for him to find rhythm.
‘He doesn’t need much’ – Starc unfussed as Cummins can play off limited preparation.
With six weeks before the start of the series, Mitchell Starc is confident that Pat Cummins won’t require much preparation to play in the first Ashes Test in Perth. The captain is still optimistic despite not having been cleared to bowl yet.
Given that Cummins hasn’t bowled a ball since Australia’s most recent Test match against the West Indies in July and is still recovering from a hot spot in his lower back, there are increasing concerns over his availability for the opening Test of the Ashes.
The short deadline for the captain to sufficiently build up his bowling loads has become a big talking issue, even though it is understood that Cricket Australia has not made any decisions on Cummins’ return to bowling and his availability for the first Test of the Ashes and beyond.
Cummins is unique, says Starc
The upcoming season will mark Starc’s first return to the BBL in eleven years, and he thinks Cummins is so special that he could play a Test match with little to no preparation.
“Playing with Pat and being close with Pat, he doesn’t need much,” Starc said. “Whether he bowls three warm-up balls and the first over the game, he’s on the money, he just knows when to switch on or how to switch on really quickly. So what it looks like for him in his prep, it’s going to be certainly different to what mine feels and looks like, and that comes with experience and age.
“Having spent so much time with Josh [Hazlewood] and Pat and myself and Scotty [Boland], we all prepare slightly differently. We all feel like we need different things. I feel like at times I need to bowl more around preparation stuff, whether it be training or after layoffs.”
As the captain continues his gym rehabilitation, Starc stated that although he has been in contact with Cummins, he had not seen him as much since returning to NSW training.
“He’s in good spirits,” Starc said. “He’s ultra-positive as always, and there’s still some weeks to go before we get to Perth for the Test prep. So we’ll see where that lands. Hopefully we see a lot of him through the summer, and we’ll see where we get to in Perth.”
Captain in Cummins’ absence?
The issue of who would take Cummins’ place as captain if he were to be ruled out would come up, but Starc stated that Steven Smith would make sense because he had led Australia in 40 Test matches, including filling in for Cummins in six of those games over the previous four years.
“We’ve got a group of us that have played cricket with Steve as captain anyway,” Starc said. “And then the times that he’s filled in over the last few seasons for Pat, whether it be for personal reasons, for illness or for injury, it’s an easy transition for Steve. He’s obviously a very experienced cricket brain and thinks heavily about the game, and we have a team of experienced guys that can give their two cents worth along the journey as well.”