'He’s looked frazzled': Aussie legend questions Pat Cummins' role as captain of the team

The fourth Ashes Test match of 2023 was played between England and Australia at Old Trafford in Manchester from July 19 to 23. England won the toss and elected to field, and Australia were bowled out for 317 in their first innings. England responded with 592 all out, with Zak Crawley scoring 189 and Jonny Bairstow 99. Australia were then 214 for 5 in their second innings when rain intervened on the fifth day, and the match was declared a draw. The result of the match meant that Australia retained the Ashes, with a 2-1 lead in the series.

3 things you need to know

• England were mostly ahead in the 4th Test but rain played spoilsport
• As a result, the match ended in a draw and Australia retained the Ashes
• The final Test of the series will be played at The Oval from July 27 to 31

Also Read: 'Always Dreamt To Win': Cummins Aims To Take The Series By 3-1 Despite Retaining The Ashes

Mark Waugh questions Cummins' role s captain for the long-term

Despite Australia securing the urn during the Ashes 2023 series in England, opinions among cricket legends are divided regarding Pat Cummins' suitability for the captaincy in the long run. His tactics have been under constant scrutiny. Mark Waugh, former Australian cricketer, expressed doubts about Cummins' long-term credentials, noting that he seemed "frazzled" in recent Tests.

Waugh felt that Cummins struggled in several matches, and although Australia got lucky in some situations, the skipper's tiredness appeared to affect his performance on multiple fronts.

"I think in India we saw Pat struggle in a couple of Test matches, and then in this series, I think he struggled in nearly every Test match. We’ve got a bit lucky leading this series 2-1. We probably should have lost Edgbaston and we probably would have lost Old Trafford so that makes it 3-1 if things go normally. I just think he’s looked tired. He’s looked frazzled. It’s affecting his bowling, his captaincy, it’s affecting his fielding. He dropped catches and you don’t want that from potentially the best cricketer in your team," Waugh said on Fox Cricket’s Ashes Preview Show. 

“So I think moving forward they’re going to have to think long and hard about this. Is Pat Cummins the right man for the long-term captaincy? Because when it’s tough I don’t think he is. I think he’s OK when it’s easy and he doesn’t have to think too much, but it’s a real question mark,” he added. 

Also Read: '...win The Ashes': Pat Cummins Opens Up On Australia's Mindset In The 5th Ashes Test

Ponting backs Cummins for the captaincy role

On the contrary, Ricky Ponting staunchly defended Cummins, stating that he has done a terrific job. He pointed out that no captain can have the perfect answer every time and praised Cummins for his overall performance, especially considering Australia's 2-1 lead in the series.

"I think Pat’s done a terrific job … for a couple of hours on day 2, things looked like they were getting out of control, but the captain can’t be expected to have the exact right answer 100 per cent of the time. I don’t think it’s got the better of Pat – in fact, for Australia to be 2-1 up where they are right now you’d have to say that Pat’s done a terrific job," Ponting told the ICC Review podcast.

Image: AP