Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in Volume 7 of B.H. Magazine, order your copy now.
Between a dominant 4–1 Ashes series victory claimed by "the worst Australian team since 2010" and the arrival of his second daughter, Pat Cummins had plenty to smile about this past summer.
"It's been pretty satisfying all around," Cummins tells B.H. Magazine on the ground in Melbourne, flashing those signature pearly whites that've made him such a brand darling.
"Very content, very satisfied. Good team," he adds.
The latest chapter of Test cricket's most storied rivalry had been heralded with plenty of discourse surrounding the home side's ageing core. To make matters even more dire, Australia's vaunted arsenal of bowling talent was, shall we say, diminished.
Hazlewood was gone before a ball was bowled. Nathan Lyon went wicketless in Perth, was dropped for Brisbane, then returned for Adelaide only to tear his hamstring on the final day.
And Cummins himself watched the first two Tests from the sidelines.
What it really demonstrated was the sheer depth of talent our sunburnt nation could call upon in times of need – Michael Neser stepping up with a career-best five-for at the Gabba, and the relentless Scott Boland adding ballast to the principal rotation alongside fast-bowling freak of nature Mitchell Starc.
That, and the fact you can always count on Travis Head for some hefty, swing-heavy heroics against Bazball zealots.
Successful series aside, this starting XI speed bump did raise a pertinent question: should Cricket Australia start becoming a little more proactive with its player development efforts?
"You've always got one eye on the future, but you're not trying to push your best players out the door," offers Cummins.
It's a tension the series made literal. Lyon, 38, had passed Glenn McGrath to become Australia's second-highest wicket-taker of all time in Adelaide before a dive to stop a boundary resulted in a series-ending injury.
"Credit where credit is due to the older guys and the medical staff. Guys are consistently playing into their late 30s, till they're 40 these days. Whereas traditionally, you'd start thinking you were in the last year or two during your early 30s," says Cummins.
"Aussie A, Big Bash, Sheffield Shield... there's lots of good avenues for guys who aren't in the XI to put up great performances and get Test match-ready," he adds.
Those pathways matter partly because the demands on the players who do make the XI have never been greater. Cummins knows that better than most.
"Physically, Cricket Australia are really good at managing the load, particularly with us fast bowlers. Test cricket's the pinnacle for me. I'll never be rested from a Test, so we try to build a schedule around that. The last couple of years, I've been able to have a decent break each year to kind of just get into the gym and rebuild strength," explains Cummins.
"Psychologically, you just can't be on the whole time, and you learn that throughout your career. Now I'm 32, I feel like once I leave the ground, I can just switch off,” he adds.
"I know there's no point in lying in bed thinking about it, 'cause it's not going to change how I'm gonna play the next day."
Cummins remains just as optimistic about the promising (albeit largely unproven) younger players he's captained in international competition thus far, such as Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney.
"They all come in with some naivety, but also a kind of freshness, which is great," says Cummins. "They're fearless, and much more willing to try new things. It keeps us older guys energised."
As a skipper who has notably led Australia through something of a torch-passing period, what lessons has Cummins learned from his own captains throughout the years? More importantly, which lessons has he chosen not to adopt?
“I’ve always enjoyed the captains who are quite open-minded, give the players a bit more leeway, and really lean into a player’s strengths,” he says.
“Some coaches or captains say you have to play a certain way, or this is how it’s always been done in the past. I think the older I get, the less I’m like that.”
He continues: “You know, these guys are there for a reason; they’ve got enough pressure on them. We try to place them in a spot where they can do well and try not to pile on pressure.”
Whether it's backed by black-letter statistics or grainy-filmed nostalgia, cricket is a sport that is perhaps more obsessive about legacy than most.
As we reach the end of our time together, we ask Cummins how he'd like the sport to remember him when the time finally comes to hang up his baggy green.
With a shrug of the shoulders and his signature humility, the Aussie skipper simply says: “I don't really care, to be honest. Hopefully, my teammates thought I was OK to play alongside. That's the main thing I worry about.”
