27 October - Dharamsala - Australia Captain Pat Cummins pre-match press conference
[Reporter:]
So much of history in Australia, New Zealand, contests - this is a World Cup game that everybody has been looking forward to for a long time. Your thoughts just on the history of the games and your perspective ahead of tomorrow's encounter.
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, it's, I mean any sport even Blader’s Cup is always big events. I guess in my career, 2015 obviously had an awesome match at Eden Park and then the final and then, we had a T20 World Cup final a couple of years ago. So, it always seems like there's great contests. And on a personal note, as well, we know a lot of the New Zealand guys, we have played a lot against them and with them. So, it's always good fun.
[Reporter:]
Is Travis Head available for the game and Marcus Stoinis for that matter?
[Pat Cummins:]
Don't know to be honest. Yeah, they'll have a training session after this. Well, they both trained on game day a couple of days ago, so, yeah, we'll see in the next few hours.
[Reporter:]
And just, I'm not sure if you followed in the news in Australia over the last day or two, but Greg Chappell's fallen on some hard times and has had a bit of a testimony, I know he played a bit of a role in your career, have you followed that at all and what are your thoughts about that?
[Pat Cummins:]
I haven't really, I heard one of the boys talking about it the other day, but yeah, he's a legend of the game, not only just as a player, he's been huge. Particularly our playing group, he's had a big influence on a lot of us coming through. He did Under-19’s tour where he was there and kind of mentoring and spent a lot of time up at the NCC (National Cricket Centre) where he was involved -so yeah got huge admiration for him. Obviously huge figure in Australian cricket so yeah, wish him all the best.
[Reporter:]
It's obviously a lovely ground except maybe when you've got to bend down and field on it. Do you have any concerns at all about the outfield and how will the team approach preparing for that?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, I mean just walked across there now, so that was the first look at it. So yeah, that's probably a ground we've got to be extra careful. It's a bit different to a lot of the other venues that we play at. But it's fine. It's the same for both teams. So yeah, maybe just be a little bit more careful out in the field. And you might have to wear a cup on the body, but that's fine.
[Reporter:]
But just 11 days ago, you guys were at the bottom of the table. But I guess that's just the nature of these tournaments. You're not in the semifinals, but sort of in there, let's face it.
[Pat Cummins:]
I'll take it, yeah.
[Reporter continues:]
Everybody speaks about vibe and all of that. But just the nature of your last two victories regardless of who you're playing against, does that like add to that feeling of like now we finally arrived in this tournament in that sense?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, for sure. Our group's big on talking about the style that we want to play, and I think in the first two games not only did we not win, but I think we didn't really nail the style that we wanted to play. I think in the last few games you've seen us be a bit more aggressive - batting and bowling. Bowling- everyone's been really open-minded, tried different things; trying bounces, different fields, one over spells and it's just been a real buy in from the whole team and yeah, it's been fantastic last few games. That's a standard we want to keep going with for the rest of tournament.
[Reporter:]
And with your own bowling Pat, you said earlier in the tournament that in a one-day cricket, you haven't played a lot of it regularly in the last few years, but getting a feel for it with every game you play. Just the four or five overs you bowl against Netherlands, just the carry you were getting, I know it's dependent on the surface as well. Does that put you in a better place of mind in that sense? And just in terms of economy rates, there's something I asked about you guys during the Ashes, different circumstances, but have you reached a point where you don't really pay much heed to it and it's what you're doing with the ball?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, I've been really happy with how I've been bowling. I feel like I've probably been bowling the best I have for a little while in the ODI cricket. So, and in terms of economy rates we're really role specific so a Josh Hazel is going to look different to me or to Starkey, to Adam Zampa. It's just about, having your role and trying to own that. So, for example, we could try and be really safe through the middle, but we're not going to take wickets where they're probably going to score runs at the back end. So, we're always all about wickets at the start and the middle, and happy to give up a few runs in search of that.
[Reporter:]
You've played a lot of cricket with Mitchell Starc and he's on an incredible streak at the moment. He's taken the wicket in every World Cup match he's played, which is a record. What do you think makes him so successful or so effective in World Cup matches?
[Pat Cummins:]
I think in 50 over cricket there's the new ball, the middle phase and the last phase and it's pretty hard to nail all three, but I think he's one of the rare bowlers that swings it up front, but you can basically give him the ball at any time and you feel like he's going to create something and again I think he just keeps getting better and better. He's wobbling the ball across right-handers, he's bowling round the wicket probably more than he did in, say 2015, he's got plenty of tools at his disposal and it's pretty amazing he's been able to keep up the pace for that long as well.
[Reporter:]
And outfield aside, where does this ground rank in terms of the most picturesque?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, it's right up there. You think of Cape Town, this one's probably just beautiful. As you saw, as soon as we got off the bus, everyone goes right out the front, gets their phone out, starts taking photos. You just got to do it when you're here. So, it's beautiful, beautiful, clean air. Looking up at snow-capped mountains, it's great.
[Reporter:]
Pat, just wanted to ask about the rollercoaster of Glenn Maxwell, the golden duck against Pakistan and then the other night. Have you been in a partnership like that before where I think you made 8 out of 100 and something?
[Pat Cummins:]
I don't need to focus on that mate. 100 run partnership.
[Reporter:]
You supported him well. What's that like to watch and then how important is he, to have him following for the rest of the tournament
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, that was just insane the other night. Yeah, Max he's got that in him and with that kind of play they're not going to do that every game but he does it often enough to be worried every time. He walks out there if you're the opposition. So, I was lucky to be down at the other end, see it first-hand, just yeah, the creativity that he seems to have, to find boundaries in just different spots, just incredible. He said to me with three or four overs left, he goes, I just want to face many balls here and own these last four overs. And he did it. So yeah, just insane. And I thought he's bowling this tournament. It's been fantastic so far. And as we saw the other night, he's a superstar.
[Reporter:]
Pat, we're having a day game after a long time of day and night cricket. Your thoughts on that and how does that change your permutation combinations and planning going into it?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, it feels a bit more like a test match getting up in the morning and turning up here. So yeah, a little bit different to what we are used to. Yeah, we'll have a bit of a thinking this afternoon to see if that changes anything to do with, say, the toss. Obviously, at light maybe dew, maybe swing on the lights is a bit of a fact you think about. So, yeah, we'll have a think.
[Reporter:]
You're still a fairly young ODI captain but you talk about role specific roles for the bowlers does that require you to tell yourself to hold your nerve when a guy's gone for 25 or 30 off two overs, and it's the plan, but it's looking pretty ugly?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, you've got to, yeah, it's all a balance. I mean, luckily in our team, we've got plenty of options, so it always feels like you can balance between plans a lot. It does feel like a real luxury. But yeah, you've got to know when to cut your losses as well. There are times where you can't create anything out of thin air. The ball's not doing too much. You're bowling cross seam. It's a good wicket. So, there are times where you just feel like you need to hang on and change plans.
[Reporter:]
Just on Josh, about three or four years ago, bowlers like him who were just so consistent were not getting picked because they were “too predictable.” Now that he and some other bowlers like him who can just bowl line and length have made such a good comeback, what kind of luxury does he provide to you as a bowling unit when that guy is not going to go for more than 50 any game?
[Pat Cummins:]
I mean he's been consistent his whole career, he's been a gun. So, I don't think him being predictable has ever been a problem. He's, I think even in some of those times when he wasn't in the team, was ranked number one or two in the world. So, he's fantastic. He's another one who I think now can bowl at any time. But you're going to get quality up front and, as you said, consistent. Just rarely gets hit off his length and just yeah again another real luxury having someone like him in the team.
[Reporter:]
So just to continue on the rivalry with New Zealand, if you look at other cricket rivalries, India, Pakistan, or even yourself and England, there's a bit of nastiness. There's a lot of acrimony between teams, but not with New Zealand. How does that work out? Would you rather it be more competitive? As in if it was a little nasty, would it get you going more than it does?
[Pat Cummins:]
I don't think so. I think most of the Kiwis are pretty placid and we're pretty similar. As I said, we've played a lot of cricket with these guys and some of them are really good mates of some of our players. So, yeah, if anything, it makes you want to beat your mates even more. But yeah, it'll be intense out there. Yeah.
[Reporter:]
This Dharamsala track hasn't been the easiest in terms of batting, and especially coming from that Delhi Game. What's your approach in terms of handling the track? Because there's a Santner, (Mitchell Santner) there's Zampa (Adam Zampa), slow bowlers are doing really well. Apart from that England game where they scored over 300, every other score has been near about 250-260. So, what's your approach in terms of the track here, especially coming from the Delhi game?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, it's a new venue. You've got to assess when you're out there what you think is going to be a good score. So yeah, it might not be a 400-run game or innings. But yeah, we talk a lot about playing what's in front of you, assess the conditions and as a batter you build your innings around that as a bowler, we assess what's going to work whether it's cutters, swing. Yeah, new venue we'll just make sure we're looking at it closely.
[Reporter:]
Just about when Travis Head does come back in, Steve Smith spoke to us the other day, and he said about batting at number four, he would prefer number three. That's his position. What has that chat been like? And how many times have you had to have that chat with him to convince him to go down one position?
[Pat Cummins:]
I think he said himself, do whatever is best for the team. And Trav’s (Travis) been amazing over the last 12 months. Mitch Marsh at the top has been amazing. Davey Warner’s (David Warner) obviously a superstar up there. We think that's the best way to set up the team and we're really excited with how the batting line-up looks like. No, it's been fine. We all do some roles that maybe is not your preference but it's what's best for the team so it's fine.
[Reporter:]
Pat, you mentioned close friends in other teams, I imagine you would have been heartbroken to see England suffer a defeat last night. What was your reaction to that given you've got them in a couple of games time?
[Pat Cummins:]
Yeah, obviously we've got them in a couple of games time - so we'll have a close look there, but yeah, it's sad to see. Don't have much for it.
[Reporter:]
Has the margin of victory and defeat in this World Cup surprised you at all? Like when teams are winning, they're winning really big, and when they're losing, they're losing quite badly. Have you managed to kind of pinpoint on why this is so?
[Pat Cummins:]
I think a lot of the time you speak about chasing out whatever the opposition puts up. I think this tournament, the trend for most of the teams has been, you put a big score on the board and then as you're searching for run rate, you fall well short. So, yeah, I don't know, it has been surprising. There haven't been too many super close, right down to the wire games, but yeah.
