Cummins’ recent remarks boosts hope for cracking Pakistan-Australia series

Australia are all set to tour Pakistan after 24 long years in March 2022 and their captain Pat Cummins believes that the top players will visit the country.

The Kangaroos are scheduled to tour Pakistan for the first time since 1998. It has been a tradition since international cricket returned to Pakistan that key players of the visiting teams withdraw their names from the campaign at the last moment, be it West Indies, Sri Lanka or South Africa.

Getting to know that the top Aussie players are ready to tour Pakistan is a piece of refreshing and exciting news for the local and international cricket fans.

“Still a bit to work through … but at this stage, it’s all looking really positive,” Cummins was quoted in a local media.

Though Cricket Australia (CA) is yet to ask players for their final decision regarding the historic tour, which is just a couple of months away, the side’s Test captain seems optimistic about the prospect.

The top-ranked Test bowler is all praise for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the sort of work they have put in to bring international cricket back in the country.

“The amount of work the PCB has put into it is fantastic,” he said. “It’s shaping up as, I think just about everyone — if not all – will go.”

Having said that, neither the captain nor Australia’s cricket governing body is pressurising their cricketers to visit the South Asian country.

“If some players need to make a choice, it’s absolutely fine that they won’t be there. Still got a bit of water to go under the bridge, a bit more info to gather and get around to everyone,” he stated.

The Kangaroos are currently busy in the five-Test Ashes series against England in their backyard, which is the first five-match affair since the coronavirus outbreak. Moreover, the five-time world champions have a busy schedule ahead with series against New Zealand, Sri Lanka followed by a Pakistan tour and the Indian Premier League.

The 28-year-old is vary about bubble fatigue, knowing that players’ mobility will be restricted because of the Covid-related protocols.

“We’re two years in, so we’ve learned a lot,” he said. “But it also means probably some players are further along their tether. It’s unprecedented times, we just have to make sure we look after each other. Conversations are happening. The selectors have been great along with the coaching staff.”

Read more: Australia’s ‘vital’ tour to Pakistan is backed by Shane Warne and Michael Vaughan

‘One or two players may back out’ 

Meanwhile, the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) Chief Todd Greenberg has assured that he will travel with the team to Pakistan if the tour goes as per schedule.

“I’ve made an assurance to the players that they won’t go alone,” Greenberg was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald. “If they’re going to Pakistan, I’ll be going with them and I think that’s important. It’s an opportunity to show the players that we’re in this together.”

The ACA had accompanied CA’s delegation on a pre-tour of Pakistan late last year, and according to them, the reports were quite encouraging.

However, ACA will continue to take advice from DFAT (Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) and other government organisations as they will need to satisfy players and also their families regarding their safety.

Greenberg seemed pretty confident about Aussie players travelling to Pakistan and believe that a couple of players might back off.

“There may be one or two players who won’t be comfortable despite the best advice we give, and that’s OK, we need to respect that,” Greenberg said.

Moreover, CA chief executive Nick Hockley is also eying a brief tour to Pakistan, while the interim chair Richard Freudenstein may also fly to meet his PCB counterpart, Ramiz Raja.

‘Give a little back to the game’

Australia’s top-order batter Usman Khawaja, who made an emphatic comeback to Test cricket with two centuries in the fourth Test of the Ashes, has been quite vocal about the Pakistan tour and trying to convince his teammates for it.

The 35-year-old left-handed batter says that he has been a strong supporter of cricket in the subcontinent, including India, Bangladesh and especially Pakistan.

“I’ve always had great support in the subcontinent, Bangladesh, India and particularly Pakistan where I was born,” he said while talking to Fox Cricket.

He mentioned his experience of playing in the Pakistan Super League and how he would love to tour the country again.

“They were amazing even when I was there for the PSL. I would like to go back there and play. It is not that far away but it seems far. Even if I go there on tour, it will be amazing,” he maintained.

The Islamabad-born cricketer believes that Australian cricketers have a chance to give a little back to the game if they honour their upcoming commitment of touring Pakistan. Also, Steve Smith and David Warner’s visit to the sport-loving country can inspire a whole generation of cricketers.

“I think it is a great opportunity for Australian cricket to give a little back. I said that to the guys, you can actually inspire a generation of cricketers who have never seen you play – never seen David Warner, Steve Smith, they see them on TV. You actually inspire a generation by just going back over there,” he said.

Khawaja is hoping that this tour will go as per plan, not for his fondness for Pakistan cricket but for the boys and girls there in the country.

“I don’t think there is a better way to give back to the game than to tour a country like Pakistan who has been deprived for so long. So hopefully we will get over there not just for my sake but for Pakistan cricket and all those young boys and girls out there,” he concluded.

Read more: Usman Khawaja feels that Australia’s tour of Pakistan will inspire young Pakistanis

Starc not sure of his availability

Australia’s ace pacer Mitchell Starc did not confirm whether he will visit Pakistan when he was asked about it ahead of the fifth Ashes Test.

He revealed while talking to The Sydney Morning Herald that they had a briefing about the tour and the players will take time to process that information.

“We had a bit of a briefing the other day about the upcoming tour. I think it gives time for all players to process that information,” he replied. “Obviously, we’ve got a Test match this week to play in and perform in, and then we’ll move onto what happens next.”

Pakistan are scheduled to host Australia in March-April for three Tests, as many ODIs and one T20I. One Test will be played in each of the three venues, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore.

However, the limited-over contests will be staged in Lahore.

Major boost

The tour, if go ahead as per the schedule, will be a big boost for the PCB and in particular for chairman Ramiz Raja.

Pakistan cricket suffered immensely last year when New Zealand cricket team left from the country just ahead of the first ODI, citing a ‘security threat’.

The move left cricket fans in the country shocked as the visiting team did not disclose any details about the threat to local law and enforcement agencies.

In the following days, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also announced the postponement of their limited-overs series tour to Pakistan, citing the mental health and welfare of the players ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

The decision was widely criticised, both inside England and outside as well which led to ECB’s chairman Ian Watmore stepping down from his post.

Those abrupt angered, not only the fans in the country, but also the higher authorities as it affected the team’s preparation for the T20 World Cup.

However, the Men-in-Green, under the leadership of star batter Babar Azam, produced an outstanding performance in the mega-event where they lost in the semi-finals in a nail-biting contest against eventual winners Australia.

During the same event, it was announced that West Indies Cricket approved the limited-overs tour of Pakistan in November-December 2021.

However, that tour was also impact with rising number of Covid-19 cases as the Caribbean giants travelled back after the T20I series.