Ricky Ponting backs Pat Cummins to become Australia's next ODI skipper

Australia`s Pat Cummins. Photo/AFP

Former Australia skipper and two-time ODI World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting believes Test captain Pat Cummins would be the side's new captain in 50-over format after the retirement of opener Aaron Finch. Finch, currently the T20I skipper, announced his retirement from ODIs during Australia's recent home series against New Zealand, which the hosts' won 3-0. With less than a year to go before the start of the 2023 Men's ODI World Cup in India, Ponting thinks Cummins, 29, will be the ideal choice for the leadership role though it will lead to an increase in his workload in international cricket.

"I think it'll be Pat Cummins, to be honest. I know he doesn't play all the ODIs for obvious reasons, because his workload in Test cricket has been, like all the fast bowlers, very high in the last few years." "I know they are very conscious of making sure that they've got Cummins, (Josh) Hazlewood and (Mitchell) Starc a 100 percent fit and healthy for the big Test series to come around. But look, I'll be surprised if it wasn't Pat Cummins," said Ponting on The ICC Review show.

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Ponting further felt that Australia should consider Steve Smith and David Warner for any future leadership position in the white-ball side, which has been there since the ball-tampering ban in 2018 at South Africa, citing the current Test vice-captaincy role held by Smith.

"I'm just basing this on what's happened with Steve Smith - he is now the Test vice-captain again, having been the captain and really at the centre of the whole controversy in Cape Town. He is now the Test vice-captain, which means obviously that if Pat Cummins ever misses a Test, then Steve Smith is going to be the captain of Australia again in Test match cricket." "So, if that's the case, and all being even and reasonably fair, then I think it would be OK, as far as I'm concerned, for David Warner to have his name (in the ring). Not saying that they have to make him captain, but he should be able to be in the conversation."

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