Australian Test captain Pat Cummins has opted for an eight-week break to recharge his batteries and focus on his mission to lift the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India later this year. This decision comes after Cummins recently returned from the United States, where he participated in the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) tournament.
Cummins, who has been a constant fixture in the Australian cricket team for the past 18 months, has chosen to skip next month’s white-ball tour of the United Kingdom. He believes this break will allow him to effectively manage his workload and focus on his physical recovery ahead of a jam-packed Australian summer.
“Everyone that comes back after a break is a little bit fresher, you never regret it,” Cummins said, as quoted by Fox Sports. “I’ve basically been bowling non-stop since the World Test Championship final, nearly 18 months ago. This gives me a good seven or eight weeks completely off bowling so the body can recover, then you start building up again for the summer. It means you can hopefully bowl for a little bit longer, maintaining pace is a bit easier, makes you less susceptible to injuries,” he added.
Cummins has endured a demanding period in the last 12 months. He played through a fractured wrist during the Ashes series in England, followed by numerous series and tournaments, including the ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Indian Premier League.
“I’m very sore today after a week of gym. Hamstrings, even ankles, kind of build up over months of bowling, but you can’t really nail it while you’re in the midst of the season,” the 31-year-old said. “I’ll be doing lots of gym, some running, a lot of rehab exercise that you just can’t really fit in the middle of the season.”
This year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be a five-Test series, and Cummins is determined to lead Australia to victory. India has dominated the series since 2017, winning four consecutive series, including historic triumphs in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21. Cummins is eager to break the streak and finally claim the trophy.
“It’s the trophy I haven’t won before… this is the one trophy a lot of our group haven’t ticked off,” Cummins said. “We’ve achieved some amazing things over the last few years as a Test group. You kind of back yourself to win every series at home. I think you need to try and be up there in the upper echelon of teams. That’s what lies ahead of us this summer. They’re (India) a really good side. We play them quite a lot, we know them really well, but we feel like we’re really well-placed also,” he added.
Despite his focus on Test cricket, Cummins has no plans to retire from the T20 format. He even expressed his desire to play a role in Australia’s bid for gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where cricket will make its debut.
“Watching the Olympics, it got us all excited. You want to be part of it right there in the middle,” Cummins said. “I’d love to be on that side (at LA28). I think I’ll be 35 or something, so hopefully still there or thereabouts. Honestly right now, it feels a long way away. Maybe once we get closer and start building into it, everyone gets a bit more excited,” he said.