Pat Cummins appointed Australia’s ODI captain to replace Aaron Finch
Pat Cummins will be asked to juggle the Test and one-day captaincy after being appointed as Aaron Finch’s successor in the 50-over format. Cricket Australia confirmed on Tuesday that Cummins would take charge of the one-day side, making him the country’s 27th men’s ODI captain.
The quick’s first duty in the format will be to lead Australia against England in next month’s ODI series, which takes place after the home T20 World Cup. Cummins’s appointment comes despite concerns over his workload, with the 29-year-old having regularly been rested from white-ball cricket in recent years.
However selectors have made the call with an eye on next year’s 50-over World Cup, giving Cummins the captaincy for a full year before that tournament.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed playing under Finchy and have learnt an enormous amount from his leadership.” Cummins said. “They are significant shoes to fill although we are extremely fortunate to have a one-day squad with a huge amount of experience.”
Cummins had said as recently as Sunday he was open to a rotation-type policy on the ODI captaincy, with David Warner’s leadership ban set to be reviewed. Warner was seen as one of several options for the position, particularly given he is a certain selection. Steve Smith and Alex Carey were among other likely contenders, after Mitch Marsh last month ruled himself out of the race.
In raising the possibility of shared captaincy, Cummins pointed to the fact that playing in every match was not realistic for him, and that a committee-style approach to the leadership could be an option. But officials have confirmed their preference for uniformity, after Cummins’ big first year in charge of the Test side.
“We are very fortunate to have a number of