‘Playing Test matches for Australia is my number one priority’ - Pat Cummins analyses new IPL rules

Australia and Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins hasn’t finalised if he will feature in the next edition of the Indian Premier League. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials made new rules concerning foreign players for the upcoming cycle, in which, if any cricketer who opts out after the auction, will be banned from the cash-rich league for the next two seasons. Similarly, if a cricketer doesn’t register for the mega-auction, he won’t be able to participate in the mini-auctions that happen every year.

On top of that, the foreign players won’t be earning any more than the Indian players from the upcoming season. Kolkata Knight Riders and Hyderabad broke their bank to sign Mitchell Starc for INR 24.75 crore and Pat Cummins for INR 20.5 crore respectively last year, which promoted the BCCI officials to change the rule and prioritize Indian cricketers.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad would be tempted to retain their captain for the next season but Cummins isn’t sure about his availability. He clarified that playing Test cricket for Australia is his number-one priority and reminded that he has never pulled out of a season after registering for the auction.

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“I'll work out in the next little bit what this season looks like. There's a bit of a tweak in the rules, but I don't know whether that would have affected me in the past, I've never pulled out after the auction. But it is one more factor to consider with the IPL,” Cummins told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Test cricket is the absolute No.1 priority, world cups are right up there, and then I think you use them as your tent poles and work out what else makes sense around that. The calendar is never going to get any less busy, and I'm not going to get any younger, so these things have always been considerations, and moving forward will become even more so. But needless to say, playing cricket for Australia, particularly Test matches, is my number one job and priority,” he added.

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Cummins took a break after the T20 World Cup and will be back in action in the upcoming five-match Test series against India, starting November 22. Ahead of that, he is likely to feature for New South Wales in the ongoing Sheffield Shield.