Pat Cummins has tasted some great success in his stellar international career so far, winning the World Test Championship (WTC) title, multiple Ashes series and the T20 World Cup.
However, the Australian skipper feels that winning the Cricket World Cup is the pinnacle of his international career. Cummins was also part of the Australian side that won the 2015 Cricket World Cup at home.
“This is the pinnacle of international cricket. Winning the one-day World Cup is huge. It's been a huge year. These are the moments you remember for the rest of your lives,” Cummins told reporters after Australia defeated India by six wickets in the World Cup 2023 final on Sunday (November 19) in Ahmedabad.
He elaborated: “Every international team comes in (for the event). You only get a chance once in four years. Even if you have a 10-year career, you may play a World Cup only twice. The whole cricketing world stops for this event. The WTC title was huge, but this is it. The rich history... to come to a place like India, where the conditions are different, it's pretty gruelling to play 11 games. But the way the group stuck together, this is the pinnacle.”
Opting to bowl first on a slow pitch, Australia restricted India to a below-par 240/10 in 50 overs. The pace trio of Mitchell Starc (3-55), Pat Cummins (2-34) and Josh Hazlewood (2-6) picked up seven wickets among them.
In reply, the Aussies were in a spot of bother at 47/3 but the duo of Travis Head (137 off 120) and Marnus Labuschagne (58* off 110) added 192 runs for the fourth wicket to overhaul the target in 43 overs.
Head, who won the Player-of-the-Match award in the semi-final and final, joined the squad late as he was recovering from a hand injury.
Cummins credited Australia coach Andrew McDonald and chief selector George Bailey for picking Head in their 15-member squad.
“Head was phenomenal. A lot of credit should go to McDonald and Bailey for taking a punt. That was a big risk. We could have been made to look really silly. He epitomises everything I want from a cricket team. He takes the game on, plays with a smile and is fun to be around,” he said.
Every now and then, experts question the future of ODI cricket but the Australian captain backed the format.
“I did fall in love with ODIs again in this World Cup. The scenario of every game matters. The World Cup has got such a rich history. I am sure it is going to be around for a long time. There is definitely place for it,” Cummins remarked.
