Cummins to rule by committee if handed ODI job

Pat Cummins believes Australia's next 50-over captain may need to lead by committee, insisting the hectic forthcoming schedule will prohibit multi-format players like himself from featuring in every series.

The Test skipper remained coy about the prospect of adding the ODI job to his swelling list of commitments when asked on Sunday ahead of Australia’s T20 World Cup title defence.

"There's been a bit more talk about it. Nothing concrete, or no decisions made yet," Cummins said of the post vacated by Aaron Finch last month. "But it's something I'd be open to."

Cummins is considered a leading contender to succeed Finch and lead the side at the next ODI World Cup, slated to be played in October-November in India next year.

He allayed concerns about a fast bowler taking charge of the Test side, having backed up last summer's home Ashes triumph over England with a drought-breaking series win in Asia (against Pakistan in March) before a 1-1 draw in Sri Lanka.

Among the other options for the ODI job are Steve Smith, the former all-format captain who is now Cummins' Test deputy, and wicketkeeper Alex Carey, a mainstay in the 50-over side who led Australia in Finch's absence in a three-game series in the Caribbean last year.

David Warner's leadership ban remains in place (Smith's has expired) but Cricket Australia's board is considering tweaking the organisation's code of ethics in a move that could open the door for him to again take on a formal leadership role.

Whoever gets the nod to take the reins for the 50-over team, whose next engagement is a three-game series against England next month immediately after the T20 World Cup, it seems certain the chosen candidate will be unavailable for certain series.

"You’d probably need to look at it a little bit differently to perhaps in the past with so much cricket going on, if I was offered it," said Cummins, a first-choice player in all three formats.

"Just playing every single game isn't realistic. We've got a handful of guys that play all three formats.

"In a year like this, T20 becomes the focus leading to a World Cup. Next year might be different with the one-day World Cup.

"But with 15 Test matches in the next six months, I don't think you can expect the captain to play every game just because he is the captain."

Having started the home 'summer' back in August with white-ball matches against Zimbabwe and New Zealand, Australia's men are in the midst of a punishing fixture that Finch has already admitted has left some feeling fatigued.

A whistlestop tour of India preceded five more home T20s against West Indies and England leading into their World Cup title defence that gets underway next weekend.

Three ODIs against England are then sandwiched between the upcoming World Cup and ensuing Tests against the Windies and South Africa.

Long tours of India (ODIs and Tests), England (the Ashes) and South Africa (expected to be white-ball only) are then to be played ahead of the ODI World Cup next year.

With that in mind, Cummins insisted fill-in captains are viable: "I think you could, for sure,” he said in Brisbane, ahead of Australia World Cup warmup match against India on Monday.

"We've got some great leaders in the team. We all get along great. I think the (leadership) style of just about everyone in the team is really seamless.

"I think it'd be really seamless if you had to do it by committee."

Warner, who led Australia as a fill-in in both white-ball formats prior to the 2018 Cape Town scandal, received a ringing endorsement from Cummins to captain again.

"It certainly wouldn't be an issue, no," Cummins said of the 36-year-old who has also been touted as a potential skipper of the Sydney Thunder in the KFC BBL should his lifetime ban get overturned.

"I know that's not an option at this stage, but he's a leader in our group. Always has been, always will be.

"He's someone in Tests who I rely on a lot. If things change, I'm sure he'll be someone that is strongly considered to step up if needed.

"There's a few barriers at the moment. But certainly if they were removed there wouldn't be any qualms from any of our playing or coaching group. He'd be right up there and up to the task."

Men's T20 World Cup 2022

Australia squad: Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Aaron Finch (c), Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Australia's T20 World Cup 2022 fixtures

Oct 17: warm-up match v India, Gabba, 3pm AEDT

Oct 22: v New Zealand, SCG, 6pm AEDT

Oct 25: v 1A, Optus Stadium, 10pm AEDT

Oct 28: v England, MCG, 7pm AEDT

Oct 31: v 2B, Gabba, 7pm AEDT

Nov 4: v Afghanistan, Adelaide Oval, 7pm AEDT

Click here for a full 2022 T20 World Cup fixture