Pat Cummins returns to Sheffield Shield
He last played four-day domestic cricket in 2021 and wants to ensure he stays fresh as well as maintains a balance in his preparation. Australia Test captain Pat Cummins is considering a return to the Sheffield Shield for the series against India starting in late November.
Cummins, who recently completed an MLC stint in the USA, has been rested from Australia’s white-ball tour of Scotland and England next month. He will spend time focusing on strength and conditioning ahead of the five-Test series against India, which will take a little over seven weeks, followed immediately by two more matches in Sri Lanka.
Chance to defend World Test Championship title
These seven Test matches will decide whether Australia will have a chance to defend their World Test Championship title at Lord’s next June. They are currently second in the table behind India. Cummins last played Sheffield Shield for New South Wales in February 2021 and has played only nine matches in his career. There is also an ODI series against Pakistan in early November which could be used as part of preparation for the Test matches.
Ronnie [coach Andrew McDonald] called me the other day and said we need to talk about this. I like to be a bit fresher, but definitely like to play some cricket,” Cummins told News Corp.
Playing Shield match against Victoria
So I would say it would be either two or three ODIs, plus a Shield game or maybe just a couple of Shield, maybe a couple of ODIs. I think late October/early November I would start playing to prepare for the Test matches. New South Wales are due to play a Shield match against Victoria from October 20, then face Queensland from November 1, although the ODI series against Pakistan starts later.
Omitting from the England tour was a long-standing plan and the next few months were to ensure his body was right for the upcoming workload, including the Champions Trophy in Pakistan next February.
Will get some strength back to the body
He said, I will have a good six or eight weeks off bowling, where I will go to the gym every day, do a little running and get some strength back to my body. Mitchell Starc, who will play the ODI series against England after taking a rest from T20Is, and Josh Hazlewood, who will play the entire tour, may also be available for New South Wales ahead of the international season. Nathan Lyon is expected to play at least two matches before facing India.
Most of the batsmen are expected to be available for the Sheffield Shield in October, which will be played over two rounds, while players who are not part of the ODI squad against Pakistan may get another chance. Australia A also have two four-day matches against India A in Mackay and Melbourne.
Ronnie (Australia head coach Andrew McDonald) called me the other day and said we need to talk about this, Cummins told News Corp. I like to play a little fresh, but definitely want to play some cricket.
So I would say it will be either two or three ODIs, plus a Shield (game) or maybe just a couple of Shield, maybe a couple of NSW ODIs. I think late October or early November I will start playing to prepare for the Test matches.
Major League Cricket for San Francisco Unicorns
The 31-year-old Cummins recently played in the second edition of Major League Cricket (MLC) for the San Francisco Unicorns and has been rested for Australia’s tour of Scotland and England as part of the team management’s workload program. It is worth noting that the Australian team will take on Scotland in a three-match T20 series starting on September 4. The series will conclude with the third T20 match on September 7.
Australia will then take on their Ashes rivals in a white-ball series of three T20s and five ODIs. The T20 series will begin on September 11 in Southampton and end with the third T20 match in Manchester on September 15. The first ODI will be played at Trent Bridge in Nottingham and will end with the fifth ODI on September 29. It is worth mentioning that the first Test of the five-match series between India and Australia will be played at the Perth Stadium.
Conclusion
Pat Cummins may return to Australia’s premier red-ball tournament Sheffield Shield to improve his preparation ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The right-arm fast bowler last played the tournament in February 2021 and has featured in nine matches so far. Australia’s Test captain wants to use the ODI series against Pakistan ahead of the Sheffield Shield and Test tour of India to prepare himself for the tough contest between the two WTC (World Test Championship) 2021-23 finalists.
