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Pat Cummins achieves historic 144-year-old distinction in Australian cricket with appointment as Test captain
Speedster Pat Cummins achieved a historic distinction in Australian cricket with his appointment as the country's newest Test captain.
With Pat Cummins being appointed Australia’s new Test captain, the Australia pacer acknowledged the role and said he was honoured to take up the opportunity to take the country forward in international cricket. With Tim Paine stepping down as captain and taking an indefinite break from all cricket, it was only a matter of time before Cummins have handed the captaincy duties of the Australian Test side.
"I am honoured to accept this role ahead of what will be a massive Ashes summer. I hope I can provide the same leadership Tim (Paine) has given the group in the past few years," Cummins said in a statement.
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"With Steve and I as captains, a number of very senior players in this squad and some great young talent coming through we are a strong and tightly knit group. This is an unexpected privilege which I am very grateful for and am very much looking forward to."
The fact that Cummins was grateful was evident in his statement. After all, besides being named Australia’s 47th Test captain, Cummins also became the first fast bowler to be appointed the country's Test captain. Before Cummins, no fast bowler had Australia in whites, not full-time. Australia played their first Test match in 1877 but not once has a fast bowler captained the the team in the format.
In 1956 when Australia had toured India, Ray Lindwall, highly regarded as one of the best fast bowlers of all time, led the team but he was a stand-in captain in the absence of Ian Johnson and vice-captain Keith Miller.
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Also, after the great Richie Benaud, Cummins is the first bowler to captain Australia. The No.1-ranked Test bowler, Cummins will begin his career as Australia’s Test captain with the all-important Ashes series starting December 8 at The Gabba in Brisbane.
It was in January of 2019 that Cummins was named vice-captain to Paine, along with Travis Head. In February, Cummins was awarded the Allan Border medal and improved his reputation in the Ashes the same year by emerging as the leading wicket-taker with 29 scalps.
