Published 15:15 IST, December 3rd 2020
Brett Lee accuses Cricket Australia of putting Pat Cummins at risk of another injury?
Legendary speedster Brett Lee has questioned and criticised the Australian team management's decision to rest Pat Cummins from the third ODI in Canberra.
Australia lost the third and final ODI of the series against India by 13 runs at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, thus failing to whitewash the Men in Blue after having won the first two matches comprehensively. Both sides went into the match with three changes each. While Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur and debutant T Natarajan replaced Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammad Shami and Navdeep Saini in the Indian team, Australia replaced Mitchell Starc, David Warner and Pat Cummins with Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar and Cameron Green.
Brett Lee express his displeasure over decision to rest Pat Cummins
As far as the Australian team is concerned, David Warner and Mitchell Starc were forced changes due to injuries. On the other hand, in an attempt to manage Cummins' workload ahead of Australia's T20I and Test series against India, the right-arm pacer had been rested as he was coming back from playing in the recently concluded Dream11 IPL 2020. Now, former Australian speedster Brett Lee has questioned and criticised the decision to rest Cummins.
While speaking to Fox Sports, Lee predicted that resting from the final ODI wouldn't have been Cummins' call because he would have wanted to play like players always do. According to Lee, players shouldn’t be tired after a couple of games. The Australian veteran, who was unhappy with his side's policy of resting and rotating pacers during his time, stated that the more games he played, the better rhythm he had.
Citing his own example, Lee said that if he had a week’s break, whether it be a break in the tournament or whether he was rested, it was almost like he had got to go back and find that rhythm again. Lee further said that there could be a guy who is carrying a hamstring injury or a little niggle, shoulder might be a bit sore, and the best way to get them into their best preparation is to have a few days off which is fine. However, he maintained that if they’re fully fit, they should be playing.
Lee's concerns come after Pat Cummins struggled with a series of injuries since his debut as a 18-year-old back in 2011. Cummins has been a sort of a late bloomer for Australia, emerging with a new fitness and training routine to become one of the world's leading bowlers across all three formats. According to Lee, resting a fit bowler increases his chances of getting injured in the long run, which could impact his career.
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Cummins played two matches in the series and bagged three wickets at an average of 39.67. The right-arm bowler went wicketless in the first game but went on to pick three in the next one as he consistently bowled at 150 kph. Cummins who played in the IPL for Kolkata had a poor start to the tournament. But the Australian returned to form during the end phase of the competition as he bagged nine wickets in his last four IPL games at a stunning average of 12.56. The Cummins IPL price was a stunning 15.5 crore INR, making him the most overseas player in the 2020 competition.
Looking at Cummins slowly getting into his groove, Lee opined that his confidence and pace are back and he expects that to continue all summer. Lee's comments come after Shane Warne similarly lambasted Australian team management's decision to rest Cummins. Warne questioned if playing in the IPL is more important for players than playing for Australia.
Shane Warne slams Australian team management's decision to rest Pat Cummins
While speaking on Fox Cricket, Warne said that he was a little disappointed with the decision to rest Cummins. The Australian veteran acknowledged that it is a big, jam-packed summer. However, he reckoned that Australian players should not be resting after two games. Questioning the Australian team management's decision to rest Cummins, he asked if playing in the IPL forced them to take such a decision.
An upset Warne further slammed the Australian team management by saying that their players are allowed to go and play all these games in the IPL but then they need a rest because they have been playing in the tournament. Warne stated that players should start prioritizing playing for the country instead of franchise cricket.
The 51-year-old also asked the players to choose between playing in the IPL or playing for the country. He suggested players miss IPL games because they cannot miss international games saying that they need a break coming off an IPL. Warne opined that it is a One Day International for Australia and you don't need a rest to get through the summer after just two matches.
Meanwhile, the India vs Australia 2020 tour now moves on to the three-match T20I series. The India vs Australia 1st T20I will be played on Friday, December 4 at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. The live streaming of the India vs Australia 1st T20I will commence at 1:40 PM (IST).
SOURCE: BRETT LEE INSTAGRAM
Updated 15:15 IST, December 3rd 2020