Australia reportedly settle on preference as new ODI captain

The decision on who will be offered the role has been made.

Published by
Scott Pryde

Cricket Australia have reportedly settled on offering Test captain Pat Cummins the reigns to the ODI team as well.

Cummins, who took over as Test captain following the departure of Tim Paine from the role ahead of last summer's Test series against India, has led the red ball team while also playing a part in the limited overs teams under Aaron Finch.

Finch announced his retirement from the ODI setup late last week though, with Sunday's third ODI in Cairns against New Zealand - which the hosts won - being his final appearance for the country in the 50-over format.

The 36-year-old will continue as captain of the team in the T20 format for now, although it's tipped that may come to an end following the World Cup as well, with the tournament to be played in Australia during October and November.

That could leave Cummins - should he accept the offer as reported by The Daily Telegraph - captaining all three formats.

The big quick, who was rested from what ultimately turned out to be Finch's final time in charge of the ODI team during back-to-back series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand, has spoken out about the 'unrealistic' nature of playing every match across all three formats, but said he would be open to the idea of leading all teams if a suitable vice-captain was in place to take over when he needed to be rested.

“There's a lot to think through, for whoever it is,” Cummins said at Kayo Sports' launch to the summer of cricket.

“I love being Test captain – hopefully I'm there at the ODI World Cup as a player, firstly.

“If it comes up and it works, it would obviously be a huge privilege, but if not, it's totally fine.

“I don't want anything to take away from my role as Test captain, so there'd be a bit to work through.

“ … If the captaincy goes to a bowler and there's times that you need to prioritise other formats, a vice-captain could step in – whether it's a keeper or a batter.

“It's probably different to what we've all grown up watching, the way that captains and teams operate, but the reality is there's a lot more cricket nowadays in the schedule.

“Different models of leadership, I wouldn't be surprised.”

Australia's next ODI series - a three-match campaign against England - begins immediately after the T20 World Cup, leaving Cricket Australia with a limited amount of time to make a decision.

Published by
Scott Pryde