After Tim Paine, Pat Cummins responds to Michael Clarke's statement on Australia players saving IPL contracts

Former Australia skipper Michael Clarke recently claimed that Australia players were less aggressive to Virat Kohli and his team during the home series in 2018-19 season. Moreover, he also went on to say that the players were worried about their IPL contracts for the following season. However, Australia skipper Tim Paine refuted those claims on Thursday and now even Pat Cummins has expressed his views on the same.

Cummins has been the number one bowler for the Aussies especially in Tests over the last couple of years now. And he has pointed out the ball-tampering scandal and its aftermath as the reason for their toned down aggression against India. Australia’s behaviour on the field and their attitude was highlighted a lot after what had transpired in South Africa in March 2018.

Since then, the newly appointed coach Justin Langer and the captain Tim Paine had made it clear which way they wanted to go as a team.

“I think probably a bigger factor was six months before leading into that Indian series the media and everyone commentating on the Aussie cricket team were pretty clear in their direction in the way they wanted the Aussies team to go and that was playing a little bit less aggressively out on the field,” Pat Cummins said while speaking to the BBC.

Cummins didn’t rule out a possibility of players wanting to save IPL contracts

However, Pat Cummins didn’t entirely rule out a possibility referring to Clarke’s statement that the players wanted to save their big fat IPL contract. However, the fast bowler stressed the fact that their aim to win the heart of the fans was the bigger factor in them not playing in the usual aggressive manner.

“I’d say that would have been a bigger factor than trying to win or lose friends out on the cricket field. But you never know, that might have been a factor for some players,” Cummins added.

Interestingly, Pat Cummins became the costliest overseas player in the history of IPL auction last year. His services were secured by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a whopping amount of Rs 15.5 crore.