Cummins has work cut out as Australia captain: Sivaramakrishnan

CHENNAI: It's not been an ideal preparation for Australia ahead of the Ashes starting from December 8. While Tim Paine was forced to resign as the Test captain under controversial circumstances before going on an indefinite break, pacer Pat Cummins was handed over the reins of the team.
But former India spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan feels that Cummins will have his task cut out. "You want bowlers as captains.They are a rare breed. Not too many bowlers get the honour of captaining their country. But Cummins will have to do a lot of homework. He's got a very good deputy in Steve Smith although there has been some controversy over him with what happened in South Africa but Smith will certainly help him," Sivaramakrishnan said in a virtual interaction organised by Sony Sports Network.
"Being a bowler, it won't be easy for Cummins because he will not only have to manage himself but the other bowlers also. He's got a lot of work to do. Generally, if the batters do the captaincy, it's a lot easier for the bowlers. This particular Australian team under Cummins, how they are going to prove themselves and if they get the Ashes, is a big, big mystery, and we'll have to wait and see," he added.
Siva, who has played nine Tests and 16 ODIs for India, will be part of the Tamil commentary panel for the upcoming Ashes Tour on Sony Ten 4 from December 8-January 18, 2022.
Elaborating on how Cummins can manage the workload, Siva said: "It's going to be summer in Australia so we might see him bowling short but effective spells, that's the most important thing. He's also got to keep a tab of his record against certain players. He will have to identify the batters and probably try to bring himself into the attack when they are at the crease. He has to plan very well so a lot of homework needs to be done to be able to manage his workload and also become a successful captain."
Watch the 1st test of The Ashes Tour 2021, Live on Sony Six (English), Sony Ten 3 (Hindi) & Sony Ten 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels, 5:30 am IST onwards from 8th to 12th December 2021.