If the pacers are fully fit, we won't be resting: Pat Cummins

Australia skipper Pat Cummins stated that there’s no room for rest for a fast bowler in this hectic international schedule. He added that despite doing well in Ashes 2023 and in the ODI World Cup, the all-format pacers won’t be taking a break in the upcoming Test series against Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand.

Notably, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc took a small break after the Ashes while Josh Hazlewood had been injured for a while and now that the pacer is back, Hazlewood might not get enough rest time as all the matches will be crucial going forward as the Kangaroos will be aiming to qualify for the World Test Championship finale. 

The Australia skipper mentioned that if the pacers are fully fit, none of them will be taking a break from the upcoming seven Test matches. He expects the players to afford a break in white-ball cricket but can’t see anyone putting their hands up to take a break in the red-ball format.

“You are always dealing with something as a bowler. When your hamstring starts to feel then you feel a pain somewhere else, then you wake up the next day and it's moved somewhere else.

“Realistically the word rest and rotated gets thrown around a lot but you never miss a Test if you are fully fit. While over the last couple of years, we might have been rested from the odd game, the bulk of work we've been able to do is because of those small gaps. If we are fully fit we won't be resting,” Cummins was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Meanwhile, Cummins played all the five Test matches against England earlier in the year. All the other pacers were given rest at some point but the skipper kept his promise of playing all the matches. He now expects other pacers to do the same if their body permits. However, there’s no guarantee of them featuring in the playing XI as well. Scott Boland and Michael Neser have done well on home soil when it comes to Test cricket and hence, the team management might consider giving them an opportunity by dropping any of the regular pacers.