Australia's Hunger To Win Matches Continued Despite Changes Under Tim Paine: Pat Cummins

Australia pacer Pat Cummins, who was decent with the ball in the recently concluded World Cup 2019, on Monday said that changes occurred in Australian cricket after Tim Paine's taking over as captain following the ball-tampering controversy last year in South Africa but their hunger to win matches was always there. Cricket Australia had handed a 12-month suspension to former Australia captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner after they were found involved in ball tampering scandal during a Test match with South Africa in Cape Town. Opening batsman Cameron Bancroft was also banned for 9 months.

They are all back in the squad for the five-Test Ashes series which gets underway at Edgbaston on Thursday with the tourists bidding to not only retain the Ashes but also win their first series in England for 18 years.

Pat Cummins -- who took himself off to France for a break following the World Cup semi-final loss to eventual champions England this month -- told The Guardian Paine's arrival in the wake of the scandal had forced a rethink about their approach to the game.

"It's probably the first time where we've really had to sit back and think about how we wanted to play," said Cummins about when Paine took over.

"For me personally, going to university (he has a Business degree) or having a few pre-seasons trying to recover from injury, it's just knowing that you can't judge yourself on purely cricket, because if you do then you're forever riding this rollercoaster.

"Definitely taking a step back gives you time to actually think."

Cummins, who has rebounded from several years of persistent injuries to be key to the Australian attack, said people who mistook that for the team going soft would be lulling themselves into a false sense of security.  

"The way I've always played is to get into the fight," he said.

"This is a side that's really hungry, many of them in their first Ashes, their first away Test.

"For me it's about remembering what I did well last time against England, try to adjust to English conditions, but I just want to really make a mark.

"It doesn't get much bigger for a Test player than an Ashes, and you never know if it's going to be your last. So make the most of it."

(With AFP inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Australia Cricket Team The Ashes 2019 Tim Paine Pat Cummins Cricket