Sydney [Australia], October 12 (ANI): Australian skipper Pat Cummins revealed his picks for country’s next all-format stars, including a Big Bash League (BBL) star and an up and coming opener who had a breakout year in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Cummins was speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald as Australia gears up for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India starting from November 22.
The Australian skipper expressed confidence in young hard-hitting sensation Jake Fraser McGurk and all-rounder Matthew Short to become Australia’s key all-format players in future.
“I think back to the start of my career, I was a lot more around the white-ball teams, and part of that is my body, but also you would get opportunities where a Mitchell Johnson or Ryan Harris were prioritising Test matches and the next generation would come through,” he said, according to Sydney Morning Herald.
“Now you see Xavier Bartlett, Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short and you think this is good preparation for becoming an all-format player. The really good players in any format find a way to score runs, and you see someone like Travis Head, the way he bats in Test matches isn’t a hell of a lot different to T20 cricket. He is leaning on his strengths. So I hope Fraser-McGurk can be an all format player,” he added.
McGurk rose to fame last year as he set a world record by slamming a ton in a mere 29-ball one-day ton in the Marsh Cup, surpassing AB de Villiers to have the fastest century in List A cricket.
Short also has played some white-ball cricket for Australia, scoring 153 runs in eight ODIs with a fifty and having taken a wicket. In 11 T20Is, he has scored 252 runs at an average of 25.20, with a fifty. He has taken seven wickets as well.
He went on to set the new standards in the IPL while opening for Delhi Capitals. In nine IPL 2024 matches, Jake racked up 330 runs at an average of 36.66 and a whopping strike rate of 234.04, including four half-centuries and best score of 84.
McGurk has played 2 ODIs and four T20Is, scoring 51 runs and 66 runs respectively, including a T20I fifty against England.
Cummins said that while Warner showed a generation that they can be “super dynamic” in T20s, the tough innings he played in Tests built up his bank of experience and he was a fine red-ball batter as well.
“Especially for young players, playing red-ball cricket is never to the detriment of white-ball cricket,” he added.
“If you look at the age profile of our Test team, no doubt if you fast-forward a few years, I would be surprised if there aren’t a few players moved on, and that presents an opportunity,” he concluded.
The Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia will begin with the first Test at Perth.
The second Test, scheduled for December 6 to 10 at Adelaide Oval, will feature the exciting day-night format under the stadium’s lights. After that, fans will turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test, which will be held from December 14 to 18.
The customary Boxing Day Test, set for December 26 to 30 at Melbourne’s storied Melbourne Cricket Ground, will bring the series to its penultimate stage.
The fifth and final Test, taking place at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, will serve as the series climax, promising a dramatic conclusion to an exciting contest. (ANI)
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