Captain Cummins

[lemmon]

Just looking through some numbers around Pat Cummins as Test captain and thought it'd be interesting to start talking a bit about where he sits in the pantheon.

Here are some of those numbers in comparison to other great and recent captains.

Cummins: 33 matches captained - 61% win percentage and 21% loss percentage

Waugh: 57 matches captained - 72% win percentage and 16% loss percentage
Taylor: 50 matches captained - 52% win percentage and 26% loss percentage
Ponting: 66 matches captained - 62% win percentage and 21% loss percentage
M Clarke: 47 matches captained - 51% win percentage and 34% loss percentage
Smith: 38 matches captained - 55% win percentage and 26% loss percentage
Paine: 23 matches captained - 47% win percentage and 35% loss percentage

We currently hold all bi-lateral Test trophies and we are the World Test Champions.

Cummins' captaincy record is on par with Ricky Ponting's and better than anyone except Steve Waugh.

I'd argue that he's also done it with a weaker side than Ponting and Waugh - Cummins himself is in contention for the greatest Australian XI ever, as is Steve Smith, but apart from that he hasn't had the McGrath, Warne, Gilchrist, Ponting, Hayden luxury that Steve Waugh and Ponting himself had.

I think the age of the tactical captain is over - bowlers mostly set their own fields as driven by coaches and analysts - but Cummins' ability to put the side on his back and drag them over the line is as good as any Australian player in history.

[GVGjr]

He's been terrific as Australia's captain and it's the first time in a long time where the captain being a bowler for us as well.
He's also proven to put a lot of value on anyone getting his wicket.
I'm not sure that he hasn't had a strong side especially with Starc, Lyon and Hazlewood around him.
If the strength of the side is in some sort of question then what role might Cummins have played in that because the Australian way has been to stick with core players regardless?

[Bornadog]

I had my doubts when he was made Captain, but his record proves he has done a great job. Will an Ashes win next summer cement him as one of the greats?

[lemmon]

He's been terrific as Australia's captain and it's the first time in a long time where the captain being a bowler for us as well.
He's also proven to put a lot of value on anyone getting his wicket.
I'm not sure that he hasn't had a strong side especially with Starc, Lyon and Hazlewood around him.
If the strength of the side is in some sort of question then what role might Cummins have played in that because the Australian way has been to stick with core players regardless?

I'm not saying it isn't a strong side, but Cummins hasn't had the generational talents that Ponting and Waugh had.

I think the 06/07 Ashes was the pinnacle of what Ponting had - which players in this current side break into that team? Smith gets into the middle order, and Cummins gets in over Lee. Then you have Hazelwood/Starc vying with Stuart Clark who was player of the series. Just using that as example of the kinds of talent Ponting and Waugh could call on during their captaincy.

The two leading batters of the last 10 years have been Smith and Warner - Cummins hasn't had the best of either through his captaincy.

He's had a very good attack for a long period of time, but Lyon isn't in the same realm as Warne and Ponting / Waugh were also able to supplement McGrath and Warne with Brett Lee and Jason Gillsepie - both of whom have Test records pretty similar to Hazlewood and Starc.

[JanLorMill]

Herald Sun or The Australian readers think he is woke.

[Bornadog]

Herald Sun or The Australian readers think he is woke.

They don't know the meaning of Woke - they think it is insulting someone

[angelopetraglia]

He was awesome with the ball and bat throughout the India test series. Increibly impressive perfromance.

[JanLorMill]

They don't know the meaning of Woke - they think it is insulting someone

Spot on. Woke up rather than still asleep

[FrediKanoute]

Cummins' has that ability to snare a wicket through just will. The amount of time she comes on and gets the key breakthrough underscores just how good a bowler he is. His captaincy has been first rate.

[jeemak]

Cummins' has that ability to snare a wicket through just will. The amount of time she comes on and gets the key breakthrough underscores just how good a bowler he is. His captaincy has been first rate.

I think at most he'd identify as a they.......I mean he's apparently woke, but not that woke.

[FrediKanoute]

I think at most he'd identify as a they.......I mean he's apparently woke, but not that woke.

Doh!......Bit of a Monty Python moment in Australian cricket

[mighty_west]

They don't know the meaning of Woke - they think it is insulting someone

And some politicians too, making out that it's some kind of weakness where's it's actually a compliment, stupid people 'ey!

[Sedat]

Cummins has done it with a truly world class bowling line-up, and as we all know bowlers will matches/series. Of course Cummins is central to that bowling line-up and deserves enormous credit for his part in keeping Australia ahead of the pack. I wouldn't say he is an especially elite/astute captain with regard to tactical elements but he's not an ultra-defensive dud ether.

Strangely, I would have Taylor as the best tactical captain I've seen in my lifetime from the above list - Steve Waugh had elite batting and bowling riches you can only dream of (and made it count to be fair), whereas Tubby had a team in transition to deal with. Cummins is a notch below Taylor, Ponting and Waugh but he's ahead of the rest IMO.

[FrediKanoute]

Cummins has done it with a truly world class bowling line-up, and as we all know bowlers will matches/series. Of course Cummins is central to that bowling line-up and deserves enormous credit for his part in keeping Australia ahead of the pack. I wouldn't say he is an especially elite/astute captain with regard to tactical elements but he's not an ultra-defensive dud ether.

Strangely, I would have Taylor as the best tactical captain I've seen in my lifetime from the above list - Steve Waugh had elite batting and bowling riches you can only dream of (and made it count to be fair), whereas Tubby had a team in transition to deal with. Cummins is a notch below Taylor, Ponting and Waugh but he's ahead of the rest IMO.

I tend to agree. Taylor was a great tactical captain. He did have Shane Warne though.

Clarke, given what he had to work with, in my mind made the most impact.

[Dogs 24/7]

I tend to agree. Taylor was a great tactical captain. He did have Shane Warne though.

Clarke, given what he had to work with, in my mind made the most impact.

Clarke losses points from a lot of cricket followers because he was hard to like but he was a very good and inventive captain.