Pat Cummins hammered by Aussie cricket greats after Ashes 'madness'

Pat Cummins is coming under fire around the cricket world after a disastrous day two for Australia in the fourth Ashes Test. The Aussie captain was caught out on the very first ball of the day, dropped a chance to remove Moeen Ali on 53, got belted for 93 runs without taking a wicket and left viewers baffled with a number of head-scratching decisions in the field.

On what was likely the most difficult day in Cummins' tenure as captain, Zak Crawley put the visitors to the sword with a massive century (189 runs) that puts England in the box seat to level the series at 2-2. Much will depend on the rain forecast for the remaining days but with England set to resume day three on 4-384 and a lead of 67 runs - with Harry Brook and Ben Stokes at the crease - the hosts will be eyeing a big first innings lead.

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Cummins looked all at sea in times in the field, with many of his field placements leaving viewers baffled. The Aussie skipper was constantly tinkering with his field and would often move a man into an area where a ball had just flown past, only to see England exploit the area where the fielder had just departed. Aussie cricket greats Mark Waugh and Ricky Ponting were among those to question Cummins.

One particularly bizarre field setting had fans scratching their heads, with Cummins opting for a fly slip, a fly gully and a deep backward point to Crawley as the Aussies resorted to desperate tactics to try and get a breakthrough. A clearly stunned Mark Waugh tweeted: “I just can’t get my head around these Aust field placements on the off side.”

“Tall, good pace, fast bowlers often hitting the splice of the bat with no fieldsmen near the bat between 4/5th slip and mid off. Hang on there is a backward point for Starc v Ali.” Ponting was also baffled by Cummins' decision to hand Josh Hazlewood the new ball, rather than partner Starc at the start of the England batting innings.

Pat Cummins decision baffles Ricky Ponting

“It’s actually a question I can’t answer,” Ponting said about Cummins turning down the new ball. “The only thing is if it was a match-up-type thing or Hazelwood obviously potentially being a little bit fresher coming into this game than what Cummins particularly is.

“He has gone too long getting himself into the attack as well. There has been enough happening. A few gone past the outside of the bat. Edges that haven’t quite carried. Cummins has to get himself into the attack and quickly.”

When Cummins did introduce himself into the attack, Crawley appeared set and went about punishing the Aussie skipper. As they have done throughout the series, Australia turned to the short-ball strategy without success and the part-time spin of Travis Head failed to have an impact as the visitors were perhaps made to rue the decision to leave out a frontline spinner.

Cummins' decision to wait until Crawley was on 112 to introduce Mitch Marsh into the bowling attack - despite the all-rounder removing him twice at Headingley - also raised eyebrows. Former England opener Mark Butcher was among the most savage critics of Australia, claiming the side “resembled a school team" as serious questions were raised about Cummins' role as a bowling captain.

Pat Cummins' captaincy under fire

“Following the ball around, not being able to stick to one plan or another, not being able to bowl two deliveries in the same spot,” Butcher said. “England just gave them the run-around.”

“He’s got an awful lot on his plate,” former England batter Ian Ward said on Sky Sports. “There are fielders running around left, right and centre. There’s people shouting at each other.”

England great Nasser Hussain added: “Often when you look down on the Australian side historically you know who the captain is, whether it be Taylor, Border, Ponting Waugh. If you look down today, there will have been a lot of cricketers waving their arms around trying to help their captain.”

Former England bowler Alex Hartley said on the BBC: “Cummins keeps changing his mind. It’s like his mind is cloudy, and he can’t make the right decision.”

with AAP

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