Pat Cummins didn't play in the ODI series decider between Australia and Pakistan on Sunday (November 10), and was pictured at a Coldplay concert while the game was in progress. Here's why the Australia captain was not playing in the game.
Australia lost the final match of the ODI series by eight wickets to Pakistan, after the hosts were bowled out for 140. The result gave Pakistan their first series win in any format in Australia since 2002, having comeback from 1-0 down after the first ODI.
Despite having played in the first two matches of the series, and playing a crucial role in the opening game with the bat to get his side over the line, Cummins did not play the final game in Perth. That left Josh Inglis to captain Australia for the first time, with Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood also not playing. Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head were also absent from the side on paternity leave. Inglis will also captain Australia in the upcoming T20I series against Pakistan, with the senior group all rested for that series as well ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which starts later this month.
However, the decision to rest Cummins in particular has come under criticism following the nature of Australia's defeat. Pakistan chased the required runs down in just 26.5 overs with eight wickets remaining, with only two of Australia's top seven having broken into double figures. During the game, Cummins was in Sydney attending a Coldplay concert, which he posted a photo of on Instagram with the caption 'Excitement levels are high'.
Following Australia's loss and Cummins' photo, Cricket Australia's policy of resting players from white-ball series' ahead of Test series' was criticised by former Australia captain Michael Clarke. "I feel like we [Australia] obviously don't care about losing that series," Clarke said on the Big Sports Breakfast radio show. "If you're not going to care, we're not going to care. I think we have it wrong. I understand resting for Test cricket, I love that, but it's a one day game, they are going to bowl more than that in training."
Second ODI - won by 9 wickets ✅
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) November 10, 2024
Third ODI - won by 8 wickets ✅
Pakistan have won a bilateral ODI series in Australia after 22 years 👏
Read here ➡️ https://t.co/NhwSoGZJoh pic.twitter.com/UhjY7wnGhh
Cricket Australia CEO, Nick Hockley, has today (November 12) elaborated on and defended the decision to rest Cummins and others for the final match in Perth.
"We often have been criticised in the past for not giving new players an opportunity to come in," said Hockley. "There was a plan in place, and that plan was to really make sure that our all-format players were in absolutely peak condition for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series.
"This was obviously a massively disappointing result, but i think a really good opportunity to expose some of the talent that's coming through to the pressures of international cricket. And on this occasion, I think they were found wanting by a very competitive and spirited Pakistan side.
"In terms of Test players, we want to get them through what's effectively seven Test matches, kind of back-to-back, and then for the all-format players into the Champions Trophy. It was felt on this occasion it was in the best interest of the overall priorities for the summer that they miss out on the third ODI."
There are 11 days between the final match of the ODI series and the first match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, both in Perth. It has reportedly been a long-established plan that the fast-bowlers in particular would rest from the last ODI of the Pakistan series, with a two-Test tour of Sri Lanka following the conclusion of the five-match Border-Gavaskar series. With just two days between the second and third ODI, it was reportedly deemed that fast-bowlers would be at a high risk of injury during a one-day turnaround off-the-back of a flight between Adelaide and Perth.
"I think what the schedule has really shone a spotlight on is that the travel schedule into such a big series is critical," said Hockley. "This is about thinking ahead and getting players through in the best possible condition. As we look to the schedule for next year, we'll get right into the detail to make sure that the travel schedule is optimised so we can continue to put our best possible XI on the field."
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