David Warner truth emerges in Australia's Pat Cummins captaincy call

17 October 2022 at 9:28 pm·4-min read

David Warner (R) could still have an opportunity to captain Australia after Pat Cummins' appointment as ODI skipper on Tuesday. Pic: Getty

Pat Cummins' appointment as captain of Australia's one-day international (ODI) side could hold a silver lining for David Warner's own leadership hopes.

Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed on Tuesday that Cummins would become the country's 27th men's ODI captain, meaning he will have to juggle the role alongside his Test captaincy duties.

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Cummins was named as Australia's successor to Aaron Finch in the 50-over format, beating off competition from a number of players - including Warner.

The Aussie batter's name had been thrown up as one of the leading candidates for the ODI captaincy, despite the fact he is currently banned from holding a leadership role in Australian cricket due to his involvement in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.

CA is believed to be leaning towards overturning Warner's lifetime ban, which would open the door for the 35-year-old to lead his country, despite many cricket fans accusing him of being the architect of Australia's 'cheating' plot.

Cummins said on Sunday he was open to a rotation-type policy on the ODI captaincy, and endorsed Warner's leadership credentials, in a huge boost for the Aussie batter.

"He'd be awesome at it," Cummins said about the possibility of Warner captaining Australia.

"There's a few barriers at the moment, but certainly if they were removed, there wouldn't be any qualms from any of the playing or coaching group.

"He's a leader around our group. Always has been, always will be.

"He's someone in the Test side I lean on a lot. If things changed (with his leadership ban), I'm sure he would be someone you would strongly consider to step up if needed."

Cummins' ODI appointment comes despite concerns over his workload, with the 29-year-old having regularly been rested from white-ball cricket in recent years.

Seen here, Pat Cummins in action for Australia in limited overs cricket. — Pat Cummins will juggle his captaincy roles with both Australia's Test and ODI sides after Cricket Australia's announcement on Tuesday. Pic: Getty (Chris Hyde - CA via Getty Images)

However, selectors have made the call with an eye on next year's 50-over World Cup, giving Cummins the captaincy for a full year before that tournament.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed playing under Finchy and have learnt an enormous amount from his leadership." Cummins said after Tuesday's captaincy announcement.

"They are significant shoes to fill although we are extremely fortunate to have a one-day squad with a huge amount of experience."

The quick's first duty in the format will be to lead Australia against England in next month's ODI series, which takes place after the home T20 World Cup.

Steve Smith and Alex Carey were among other likely contenders for the ODI captaincy, after Mitch Marsh last month ruled himself out of the race.

Pat Cummins addresses captaincy rotation

In raising the possibility of shared captaincy, Cummins pointed to the fact that playing in every match was not realistic for him, and that a committee-style approach to the leadership could be an option.

It means despite Warner missing out on the ODI captaincy, he could still potentially fill the role in Cummins' absence, pending CA's decision.

Seen here, Aussie batter David Warner plays a shot through the covers during a T20 International against England. — Aussie batter David Warner plays a shot through the covers during a T20 International against England. Pic: Getty (James Worsfold via Getty Images)

However, CA says a preference for uniformity was key to their captaincy call, in the wake of Cummins' big first year in charge of the Test side.

"We are very fortunate to have a number of high-quality leaders and senior players across all formats," high performance boss Ben Oliver said.

"The board and selectors agree Pat is the ideal choice to lead the ODI team through the next period including the 2023 World Cup."

Warner loomed as a strong option for the ODI position, especially because he is a selection certainty in the Aussie side.

However, the opener could have another chance to land his coveted Australian captaincy role in the coming months, with Australia's T20 captain Finch yet to decide if he will bow out from international cricket altogether, after this month's World Cup.

Finch announced his retirement from the ODI side last month, and said last weekend he had not yet considered his future in the T20 format.

Warner is also a mainstay of the Australian side in the shortest format of the game, and would again be considered as a frontrunner to replace Finch, if CA overturns his leadership ban.

with AAP

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