"While technically not in the squad for the first Test while recovering from a back injury, Cummins remains captain in the full-time sense, and will still go to Perth with the coaching staff. Leadership aside, he recently passed 300 wickets while averaging 22.10: only Glenn McGrath, Curtly Ambrose, Malcolm Marshall and Kagiso Rabada have taken more for less. Pace and movement create his ability to remove set batters. England will hope he stays sore."
"Steve Smith can score runs for fun in Australia. England beware. Etched into English minds for his run-hunger from 2015 to 2019, when his series tallies topped 500, then 600, then 700, Smith's returns have been modest in his past two Ashes, averaging in the 30s. The machine got back into gear last season against India, meaning so much depends on whether England can jam it up again."
Pat Cummins, 32, remains captain while recovering from a back injury and will travel to Perth with the coaching staff. He recently passed 300 Test wickets at an average of 22.10, a rate surpassed only by McGrath, Ambrose, Marshall and Rabada. Pace and movement are his strengths against set batters. Steve Smith, 36, is vice-captain and a prolific scorer in Australia after a recent resurgence following modest Ashes returns; he will captain when Cummins is unavailable. Sean Abbott, 33, offers hitting and catching ability but will miss the first Test with a hamstring injury. Scott Boland, 36, produced a breakout MCG spell (six for seven) and won the Johnny Mullagh Medal, though national depth has limited his Tests.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]