Pat Cummins, being the fast bowler he is for Australia, would've expected some interest among IPL franchises at the auction in December last year.
But not in his wildest dreams would Cummins have imagined fetching an amount of 15.5 crores, which he was eventually picked for by the two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of IPL 2020.
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Hence, the right-arm pacer has a lot to thank head coach Brendon McCullum and the rest of the staff for.
"I owe Baz (McCullum) and the rest of the staff who picked me a few dinners at least. Someone like Baz, I have played against him, is a great cricketer and an international captain," Cummins said in an interview for KKR website after turning 27 this Friday (May 8).
"To get that kind of reassurance that you’ve got something that I really want in the team’ is great for me. I think a big contract brings big responsibilities, but more than anything, it brings a lot of excitement."
"Once you are out there, you forget about the contract really quickly, and it’s mainly about being with the team and trying to win. I am really excited to be with the squad we put together for this season," added the man, who has previously also played for KKR.
Cummins would've been hoping to live up to his great reputation at the league's 13th edition this year, but the tournament remains suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The deadly outbreak, having ruined all immediate cricketing fixtures, threatens to also change the sport significantly even after it relents.
For bowlers like Cummins, that could mean the discontinuation of traditional practices like shining the ball via sweat and saliva.
“Things will change in all sports, I agree," he said. "But I think there has to be some other option. Saliva or any other substance, as long as we are able to shine the ball, I am okay."
"As a fast bowler, you gotta be able to shine the ball. The reason why everyone loves Test cricket is because it has so much art to it. You have swing bowlers, spinners, you have all these different aspects that make Test cricket what it is," added Cummins, wanting clarity over how then those running the sport will ensure there isn't further imbalance between the two main disciplines of the game.
"I think if you can’t shine the ball, it takes away swing bowling, reverse swing bowling… so much really. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to give batsmen any reason to score more runs."
(Inputs from PTI)
