Pat Cummins named Australia’s ODI captain | Cricket News

SYDNEY: Test captain Pat Cummins will also lead Australia in ODIs after being named as the replacement for Aaron Finch by Cricket Australia on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old becomes Australia’s 27th ODI captain and the first fast bowler to hold the position after impressing in his first year as Test captain.
The timing was surprising as Cricket Australia last week set in motion a process that could lead to David Warner’s lifetime ban from leadership positions being lifted and the batsman being considered for the job.
However, chief selector George Bailey said the announcement should be made without delay given the proximity of next year’s World Cup in India, adding that it was anything but a formality anyway.

“Internally it’s a no-brainer decision, Pat is the person we want to lead the team,” Bailey said at a news conference in Brisbane.
“The campaign focus is very much on the 2023 World Cup, I think we have 14 games before that and we think Pat is the perfect person to lead this group to that tournament.”
Finch, who will lead Australia in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup on home soil, retired from one-day cricket last month after a poor run with the bat.
“It’s a great honor,” Cummins said. “I want to publicly thank Aaron for all his efforts over the last few years, he has been a fantastic leader of our team and the team is in a great place. Really excited for the next 12 months.”
Warner has been banned from leadership positions for life for his role in a 2018 Newlands ball-tampering scandal and could be considered for a vice-captaincy role if the punishment is commuted following a review.
Cummins said on Sunday that he was unlikely to feature in every ODI because of the number of matches Australia play in all formats, and that someone like Warner could step in in his absence.
“I don’t expect Pat to play every ODI in the run-up to the World Cup,” added Bailey.
“I expect that at some stage we might see two or three guys taking the lead for a game.”
Bailey declined to speculate on whether Warner could be one of those players pending the review of his ban, but did say he fully endorsed the process.
“I hope it happens in time, I think the longer it drags on it just leads to speculation and I don’t think it’s helpful for David,” he added.
“Internally, I can’t speak highly enough about what he brings to the group.”