19 October - Bengaluru - Australia Captain Pat Cummins pre-match press conference
[Reporter:]
Any changes for tomorrow Pat or you stick with the winning formula?
[Pat Cummins:]
We'll announce the team tomorrow. But yeah, everyone's healthy. So, will be pretty similar side.
[Reporter:]
At none for 125 against Sri Lanka. How pleased were you, especially led by yourself at the response, you know, following two games where it kind of got away from you following a big opening partnership?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, it was really pleasing. I thought in a couple of previous games, we'd actually, you know, bowled pretty well without reward at times. So, yeah, it was good to kind of feel like we got a few wickets in our favour. And yeah, I was really proud of, you know, after we got a few wickets, we kind of really, really stuck at it. And, to bowl the team out was proper effort. So yeah, really chuffed.
[Reporter:]
I know you said that everyone's healthy, but Adam Zampa, his recovery in the last few days from that back spasm has been alright clearly then?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, I think so. Yeah, still lingering a bit but yeah, I think it's getting better each day so yeah it shouldn't be any worse than last game.
[Reporter:]
And I know it's a few days ago now but Michael Clarke's comments about you potentially being dropped from this side, what did you make of them?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, not much really. Yeah, a couple of the boys let me know I was being dropped, so that was interesting.
[Reporter:]
What do you expect of Pakistan? What do you make of their progress so far? What are the dangers in their team?
[Pat Cummins:]
It's quite a few, really. They're a side that always seems to be right up there. Pretty well structured, I think, across, you know, some really good quick bowlers who can do some damage, some spin bowlers that can bowl 20 of their overs plus. And then they've got, you know, I think Rizwan's the leading run scorer, Babar Azim's always good, a couple of other batters that have scored a lot in ODIs lately. So, they're a really strong side pretty much in all facets.
[Reporter:]
Keeping the win against Sri Lanka, in a long tournament like this, do you keep ticking boxes along? Because there's always that talk of peaking at the right times and if so, what boxes do you think you did tick against Sri Lanka?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, I mean, probably given up the right to peak at the right time by losing the first couple.
[Reporter:]
And sorry, just on that, Pat, I mean, how much of it came from you? And since in the early half of the first 25 hours, there was obvious frustration the wicket wasn't coming. You shrugged your shoulders as well once. Then the drinks break, getting those first two wickets. How much of that came from you and did you just like fire yourself up in that period?
[Pat Cummins:]
I don't know. I think after the first two losses, everyone in the team was really keen trying to make amends, you know, maybe even trying a bit too hard for the first 25 overs, like everyone in the field was diving around, plenty of kind of energy. I think it was pleasing to get the breakthrough, would have liked for it to come early, but once we got the breakthrough, it felt like then we got on a roll, which, yeah, which we earned. So, yeah, I wouldn't attribute too much credit to myself. It was everyone out there was awesome.
[Reporter:]
You won the toss in the first two games and lost those games. And finally, against Sri Lanka, you lost the toss and you won the game. So, are you hoping you will lose the toss?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, potentially. Yeah. Yeah, it's tough.
[Reporter:]
So, I mean, is it a challenge to decide what to do because of so many venues and different conditions and you know picking the team and deciding on the toss?
[Pat Cummins:]
I think it can be. You know the interesting thing when you look at the statistics around the tosses, just about every venue is 50-50. So, in the first two games, we were totally outplayed. Whether we batted or bowled first, I don't think it would have mattered too much. So yeah, It's not like a Test match or anything. You know, ODI cricket, it's kind of, I don't think it makes a huge, huge difference.
[Reporter:]
Talking about Alex Carey’s form, we know how important he is to the Australian middle order. Is he by any chance going to get a nod tomorrow? What do you think? Is his form a bit of a concern?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, Alex has missed out on the last couple, which is unfortunate. We know he's a class player, but Josh, he stepped up last game, which is awesome. So again, we feel really lucky that we got someone like Alex Carey in the squad who can't find his way into the XI. It's a sign of a pretty strong squad, I think.
[Reporter:]
The batting has not been as what you would have wanted in the first three games. So how important is it for the batters to get the game going, especially from the game against Pakistan onwards?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, of course, really important. You know, especially at a venue like here in Bangalore, I dare say it's going to be high scoring, smaller field. Pitch is always really good here. So, yeah, batting is super important. I think the way the guys started last game really set the tone. You know, Mitchie and Davey up front from the first over taking the game on. That's what we want from our players. And, you know, they're working really hard. They're doing all the right things. I'm sure plenty of runs are around the corner.
[Reporter:]
Pakistan, the bowlers are struggling to bowl in the middle overs. They are conceding a lot of runs. They are not taking as many wickets. So, do Australia plan to particularly, you know, attack them, or put them under pressure in those areas and during that period of the play?
[Pat Cummins:]
I don't think we'll have a really specific plan around that. Most games of ODI cricket's won in those middle overs, either by not conceding wickets when you're batting or trying to get a few breakthroughs with the ball.
So, yeah, it's an area of the game that we spend a lot of time on how to navigate through. But yeah, we're always, to our players, play what's in front of you. If you feel like it's a good opportunity to attack, then go for it. But if it feels like maybe a moment that you just need to bide your time and set up for the back end, that's also OK.
[Reporter:]
Just with the start that you've had in this World Cup, a lot of observers talking about how much, particularly I guess with the bowling nucleus of the bowling attack, Cameron Green, death players have looked a bit tired because of the volume of high intensity cricket you've had in the last six months. Is there anything in that? Would you admit it if there was?
[Pat Cummins:]
I'd say it's not overly different to any other international team. The nature of being international cricketers, you play a lot, probably over 100 days of the year you're playing cricket. This one's been particularly busy.
I think we've done a good job of managing everyone as best as we can. So, I wouldn't say that's a huge factor in the first two losses.
[Reporter:]
And just quickly, if I may, you were talking about the toss and deciding what to do. How important do you think, or how much of a factor is dew being in this tournament with the variation of it around the country? And how much do you investigate that when you're looking at games?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, it's a factor. I think I've said it previously in T20s - dew might play a part for 50% of the match plus in here, day and night, I only played part for the last 20 overs, say, in ODI. So, you got to balance whether, say, bowling second, it might be tough at the back end, but also, you've got lights on, ball might zip around, swing around a bit more at night before that. So, it's a balancing act. I don't think there's a right or wrong. As I said, it's pretty much 50-50. It's normally just whoever plays better on the day.
[Reporter:]
Hi, Pat. In addition to my colleague's question, what do you make of Shaheen Shah's struggle? Is he lacking fitness and not taking wickets?
[Pat Cummins:]
To be honest, I haven't been watching too much, so I can't really comment on that. But he's always a good competitor. He's always a threat up front. So yeah, hopefully he's keeping quiet tomorrow.
[Reporter:]
Some controversial statements have been made. Firstly, Mickey Arthur has made some controversial statement. Then we saw even Mohammed Rizwan - he made a controversial statement. So, do you think this all is required on the cricket field? Because it's simply politicization. What's your view on this?
[Pat Cummins:]
I think I only got half of that. But yeah, I love seeing sports people, seeing their personalities brought out as well. So, yeah, no hugely strong thoughts either way.
[Reporter:]
You addressed the middle overs a little while ago and how vital it is to the result and all of that. As a bowler, and specifically in Indian conditions, how hard is it to sort of hold through those overs? And do you sometimes risk giving away runs in order to pick up those wickets in that phase?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, for sure. It's a delicate balance sometimes where they're trying to keep the run rate in check, try and go for three or four or an over, or do you try and risk it to pick up those viral wickets? And yeah, I think you saw a bit of a shift in this last game. You know, South Africa, we felt like we had them relatively under control, but we didn't get any wickets. Last time, last game, we were a little bit more aggressive, a few more bounces, and yeah, fortunately, got us a breakthrough, and that's kind of where you get into the game. So, I think it's always that delicate balance.
[Reporter:]
With a couple of century opening stands against you guys in the last couple of games, does any consideration come to you to take the new ball potentially?
[Pat Cummins:]
Not overly. Yeah, you know, kind of before the tournament you bounce around plenty of different ideas. But at the moment, we look back at the last couple of games and yeah, haven't got the wickets, but there's probably been, you know, three chances in each first 10 overs that we just haven't got all, you know, LBW missed by millimetres or play and misses. So, we've been really happy with the guys up front.
[Reporter:]
And is there an arrival date for Travis Head locked in at this point or?
[Pat Cummins:]
I believe he's on a flight right now, is that right?
Yeah, so we'll probably see him on some day.
[Reporter:]
Hi. Quite an extraordinary thing that the Australian Cricketers Association have decided to do in funding for the netballers in Australia. Can you talk a bit about your thoughts on that and why you've decided to do it? It's never been done before across sports, really.
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, yeah, I can. Yeah, obviously the net bowlers are in a bit of a tricky situation at the moment. And we were in a similar situation six or seven years ago. And we got some support that really helped the players. And that was, I think, from a few outside individuals. So, they asked for a lending hand and the ACA stepped up and said, yep, we'll create a bit of a fund to help you out and hopefully get you through these next couple of months. I know all the sports are pretty closely linked and all the players associations work really closely. So yeah, I thought it was a good opportunity to be able to help.
[Reporter:]
Was there a sense of relief for you guys when you saw the Netherlands-South Africa result? And how much does that open up the whole situation for you?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, I mean it's good, I won't lie. I think it just evens all the teams out really. They played really well; we've got them after this game. I think what we're seeing in this tournament is, it's 10 really strong sides. It's not sides that are just making up numbers. They've all qualified and they're all here because they've earned their spot. So yeah, there's no easy games. Everything's pretty full on.