“I will say this: I hope I don't have to face Starc because that means our batsmen did pretty well,” Cummins said at a news conference on the off day. “It's funny… this is one of the beauties of the IPL; I've been playing with Starcy for 15 years, [and] I don't remember another match I played against him. Plus it will be weird to look at him and see him in the other dugout.
But there is a high salary to live up to. “Yes, being the captain of the opposing team, seeing how we deal with him will be an interesting part of tomorrow's match. But we're both bowlers, so I'm not sure if we can get over the line [paths] too much.”
“I'm really excited, ready to go,” Cummins said, confirming his inexperience in managing a T20 side.
“It has its challenges,” he explained. “Because you play 14 games over six to seven weeks plus the finals. I'm used to playing a lot of Test cricket, so four overs isn't that taxing on your body. But traveling can be mentally taxing, of course a different country, playing a new team every few days, which you have to prepare for… But it's nothing new, we've done it before. Of course, the most important thing is the day of the match. This is what we spend most of our time on. No team plays the same XI for all 14 games. I am sure we need to get our squad together and we are lucky to have a young, fit squad.
“You want a little bit of competition between people, you know, a little bit of competition when people are trying to get into the eleven.”
Pat Cummins
“I think it was part of the IPL, you have expectations, you have a lot of fans who demand a lot from the team, they want results. Yes, being a captain is probably a bit more than that [of responsibility]. However, this is not much different from what we are used to as players. We will do our best.”
When it comes to players not getting many opportunities, Cummins has a simple message: “You want a little bit of competition between people, you know, a little bit of competition when people are trying to get into the XI.”
At SRH, Cummins will have Travis Head in company, whom he leads in Tests and ODIs, but it will be a very different situation to leading Australia, whom he captained to world titles in both formats.
“The biggest difference is that you know your teammates playing in Australia really well. A lot of things don't need to be said because I've been playing with Josh Hazlewood and Starc for 15 years. So it's a real kind of trust and you just don't have to say much, it just happens on its own,” Cummins said. “I think I'm learning here [about] a few new players, that will be the biggest difference, and just learning how to play different roles in the team. Of course, I know some of the other guys and I've done a bit of homework to get the best out of them. But that will probably be the biggest difference.”
Is SRH light on the spin-bowling front?
“Even though I don't have any big names who have played a lot of cricket for India, I have been very impressed with the guys we have,” Cummins said. “Washington, who can bat in the front seven but also pass well. Also Markande, who also had some success. I feel like we've dealt with it. We also have players like Aiden Markram and Travis Head who can also contribute if needed. So there seems to be some quality there and if it's a spin wicket, we've got a lot of guys who can bowl.
This may be the case at Eden Gardens, which Cummins knows well having worked for KKR in the past. His brilliant 14-ball half-century, however, did not come in Kolkata but in Pune, against Mumbai Indians, although Cummins would like to give him another chance on Saturday.
“Maybe, I would love to. It's great fun. “It’s a lot more fun than blocking, hanging around and catching a few on the body,” he said. “So yes, I am looking forward to it, especially the IPL. I've scored a few runs over the years… I've hit a lot of sixes in my life, so I'll try to get a few back. “
