Cummins hails McDonald's influence on series win

Pat Cummins says it's not his job to pick Australian cricket's next coach but is offering a ringing endorsement to caretaker Andrew McDonald.

McDonald took on the head coaching role for the Pakistan tour after Justin Langer's messy post-Ashes departure.

And Cummins says McDonald's influence on Australia's 1-0 series win in Pakistan can't be undersold.

"He's fantastic," Cummins said after Australia's 115-run win in the third Test in Lahore on Friday sealed the series victory.

"Very diligent, very thorough, strategic, very organised.

"He's a huge part of this tour win ... and all the support staff. It's not just the players that walk out, we have got a squad of 30-odd people working so hard.

"He (McDonald) has been an important part.

"It's not my place to appoint the coach, but he has been fantastic."

After Langer resigned, Cummins stated: "We need a new style of coaching and skillset."

And he also flat-batted accusations from retired pace ace Mitchell Johnson, who described Cummins as "gutless" and accused him of having an "agenda to get in a coach he wants".

Cricket Australia has started canvassing potential candidates to take the head coaching role full-time, with McDonald considered the favourite.

Whoever gets the gig will take over an Australian Test team brimming with confidence after their Pakistan success.

Cummins' next captaincy assignment is a two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in June and July before a four-Test tour of India starting in September.

"The amount of confidence we will get out of winning over here, not just as a team but so many individuals ... being able to stand up to Asian conditions, it's huge for the Sri Lanka tour later in the year," Cummins said.

"It's probably not as much (spinning) conditions here as what we'll get in Sri Lanka.

"But I think the last Asian tours that I have been on, there's a lot of talk in Australia that we have got to change our game to suit over here.

"This is a good lesson that the basics of batting and bowling that we play in Australia can hold up over here. If anything, it reaffirms that our game can hold up."

Qantas Tour of Pakistan 2022

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Zahid Mahmood.

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.

First Test: Match drawn

March 12-16: Match drawn

March 21-25: Australia win by 115 runs

Pakistan ODI and T20 squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Abdullah Shafique*, Asif Afridi, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq*, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Zahid Mahmood, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Saud Shakeel*, Shaheen Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir (*ODIs only)

Australia ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Adam Zampa

March 29: First ODI, Lahore

March 31: Second ODI, Lahore

April 2: Third ODI, Lahore

April 5: Only T20I, Lahore

All matches to be broadcast in Australia on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports