Australia captain Pat Cummins previews their crucial clash with Pakistan at the ICC Cricket World Cup
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00:00 [inaudible] put it on the ground if you like. [inaudible]
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00:40 Any changes for tomorrow, Pat, or will you stick with the winning formula?
00:44 We'll announce the team tomorrow, but yeah, everyone's healthy, so DSA will be pretty similar.
00:50 It won for-- oh, none for 125 against Sri Lanka. How pleased with you, especially led by yourself, at the response,
00:57 following two games where it kind of got away from you following a big opening partnership?
01:01 Yeah, it was really pleasing. I thought in a couple of those previous games we'd actually bowled pretty well
01:09 without reward at times, so it was good to kind of feel like we got a few wickets in our favor.
01:16 And yeah, I was really proud of-- you know, after we got a few wickets, we kind of really stuck at it,
01:22 and to bowl the team out was proper FSA. Yeah, really chuffed.
01:27 Pat, I know you said everyone's healthy, but Adam Zampa, his recovery in the last few days from that back spasm
01:32 has been all right clearly then?
01:34 Yeah, I think so. Yeah, still lingering a bit, but yeah, I think it's getting better each day,
01:40 so yeah, it shouldn't be any worse than last game.
01:42 And I know it's a few days ago now, but Michael Clarke's comments about you potentially being dropped
01:46 from this side, what did you make of them?
01:49 Yeah, not much really. Yeah, a couple of the boys let me know I was being dropped,
01:53 so that was interesting.
02:01 Pat, what do you expect of Pakistan? What do you make of their progress so far?
02:05 What are the dangers in their team?
02:09 It's quite a few really. Yeah, they're a side that always seems to be right up there.
02:17 Pretty well structured, I think, across some really good quick bowlers who can do some damage,
02:23 some spin bowlers that can bowl 20 of their overs plus, and then they've got, you know,
02:29 I think Ridzwan's the leading run scorer, Babar Azim's always good,
02:33 a couple of other batters that have scored a lot of ODIs lately,
02:36 so they're a really strong side pretty much in all facets.
02:43 Pat, I mean, the win against Sri Lanka aside, in a long tournament like this,
02:46 do you keep ticking boxes along? Because there's always that talk of peaking at the right time,
02:51 and if so, what boxes do you think you did tick against Sri Lanka?
02:56 Yeah, I mean, probably giving up the right to peak at the right time by losing the first couple,
03:02 but I think you're always chasing that perfect game.
03:06 I think for most of the last game we were really good, but yeah, there's always a couple of areas.
03:14 Again, they had a big partnership up front, took us five wickets down, I think, to knock out the title,
03:20 so it was a really good game, but there's always little things you can look at.
03:23 And sorry, just on that, Pat, I mean, how much of it came from you in the sense,
03:29 in the early half of the first 25 overs, there was obvious frustration, the wicket wasn't coming,
03:33 you shrugged your shoulders as well at once, but then the drinks break, getting those first two wickets,
03:39 so how much of that came from you, and did you just fire yourself up in that period?
03:45 I don't know. I think after the first two losses, everyone in the team was really keen,
03:53 trying to make amends, maybe even trying a bit too hard for the first 25 overs.
03:57 Everyone in the field was diving around, plenty of energy.
04:02 So I think it was pleasing to get the breakthrough.
04:05 I would have liked for it to come early, but once we got the breakthrough,
04:08 it felt like then we got on a roll, which we earned.
04:12 So I wouldn't attribute too much credit to myself. Everyone out there was awesome.
04:18 Hi, Pat. Sumit here. You won the toss in the first two games and lost those games,
04:26 and finally against Sri Lanka, you lost the toss and you won the game.
04:29 So are you hoping you will lose the toss tomorrow?
04:33 Yeah, potentially. Yeah, it's tough.
04:37 So is it a challenge to decide what to do because of so many venues and different conditions,
04:43 and picking the team and deciding on the toss?
04:47 I think it can be.
04:51 The interesting thing when you look at the statistics around the toss is just about every venue is 50/50.
04:58 So in the first two games, we were totally outplayed.
05:03 Whether we batted or bowled first, I don't think it would have mattered too much.
05:07 So yeah, it's not like a test match or anything.
05:12 You know, ODI cricket, I don't think it makes a huge, huge difference.
05:20 Hi, Pat. Talking about Alex Kerry's form, you know how important he is to the Australian middle order.
05:26 Is he by any chance going to get a nod tomorrow? Is he a bit of a concern?
05:32 Yeah, Alex has missed out on the last couple, which is unfortunate.
05:35 We know he's a class player, but Josh, he stepped up last game and was awesome.
05:40 So again, we feel really lucky that we got someone like Alex Kerry in the squad who can't find his way into the XI.
05:47 So it's a sign of a pretty strong squad, I think.
05:50 Hello, Pat. Good afternoon.
05:52 Pat, the batting has not been as what you would have wanted in the first three games.
05:58 So how important is it for the batters to get the game going, especially from the game against Pakistan onwards?
06:04 Thank you.
06:06 Yeah, of course, really important, you know, especially at a venue like here in Bangalore,
06:11 I dare say it's going to be high scoring, smaller field.
06:14 Pitch is always really good here. So yeah, batting is super important.
06:20 I think the way the guys started last game really set the tone.
06:23 You know, Mitchie and Davey up front from the first over taking the game on.
06:27 That's what we want from our players.
06:29 And, you know, they're working really hard. They're doing all the right things.
06:33 I'm sure plenty of runs are around the corner.
06:36 Hi, Pat. Pakistan, the bowlers are struggling to bowl in the middle overs.
06:41 They are conceding a lot of runs. They are not taking as many wickets.
06:45 So do Australia plan to particularly, you know, attack them or put them under pressure in those areas and during that period of the play?
06:53 I don't think we'll, you know, have a really specific plan around that.
06:58 It is, you know, most games of ODI cricket is one in those middle overs,
07:03 either by not conceding wickets when you're batting or trying to get a few breakthroughs with the ball.
07:09 So, yeah, it's an area of the game that we spend a lot of time on how to navigate through.
07:17 But, yeah, we're always to our players, play what's in front of you.
07:21 If you feel like it's a good opportunity to attack, then go for it.
07:24 But if it feels like maybe a moment that you just need to bide your time and set up for the backhand, that's also OK.
07:31 Hey, Pat, just with the start that you've had in this World Cup,
07:35 a lot of observers talking about how much particularly, I guess, with the bowling nucleus of the bowling attack, Cameron Green,
07:42 that players have looked a bit tired because of the volume of high intensity cricket you've had in the last six months.
07:49 Is there anything in that?
07:51 Would you admit it if there was?
07:54 I'd say it's not overly different to any other international team.
07:59 The nature of being international cricket is you play a lot, you know, probably over 100 days of the year.
08:04 You're playing cricket. This one's been particularly busy.
08:07 I think we've done a good job of managing everyone as best as we can.
08:11 So I wouldn't say that's a huge factor in the first two losses.
08:15 And just quickly, if I may, you're talking about the toss and deciding what to do.
08:19 How important do you think or how much of a factor is due being in this tournament with the variation of it around the country?
08:27 And how much do you investigate that when you're looking at games?
08:32 Yeah, it's a factor.
08:35 I think I've said it previously in T20s, you know, the G might play a part for 50 percent of the match plus in here.
08:43 You know, day and night, it might only play part for the last 20 overs, say, in an ODI.
08:47 So you've got to balance whether, say, bowling second, it might be tough at the back end,
08:52 but also you've got lights on, ball might zip around, swing around a bit more at night before that.
08:57 So it's a balancing act. I don't think there's a right or wrong.
09:00 As I said, it's pretty much 50/50. It's normally just whoever plays better on the day.
09:05 Hi, Pat. In addition to my colleague's question, what do you make of Shaheen Shah's struggle?
09:10 He's lacking fitness and not taking wickets.
09:15 To be honest, I haven't been watching too much, so I can't really comment on that.
09:19 But he's always a good competitor. He's always a threat up front.
09:23 So, yeah, hopefully keep him quiet tomorrow.
09:28 Yeah. Pat, see, some controversial statements have been made.
09:35 Firstly, Mickey Arthur has made some controversial statement.
09:39 Then we saw even Mohamed Rizwan, you know, he made a controversial statement that he's supporting these victories dedicated to Hamas.
09:51 So do you think this all is required on the cricket field?
09:58 Because it's simply politicization. What's your view on this?
10:03 I think I only got half of that. But yeah, I love seeing sports people, seeing their personalities brought out as well.
10:11 So yeah, no, hugely strong thoughts either way.
10:16 Pat, you addressed the middle overs a little while ago and how vital it is to the result and all of that.
10:23 As a bowler, and specifically in Indian conditions, how hard is it to sort of pull through those overs?
10:30 And do you sometimes sort of, you know, risk giving away runs in order to pick up those wickets in that phase?
10:37 Yeah, for sure. It's a delicate balance sometimes where they're trying to keep the run rate in check,
10:44 you know, try and go for three or four or an over, or do you try and risk it to pick up those vital wickets?
10:50 And yeah, I think you saw a bit of a shift in this last game.
10:53 You know, South Africa, we felt like we had them relatively under control, but we didn't get any wickets.
10:58 Last time, last game, we were a little bit more aggressive, a few more bounces.
11:03 And yeah, fortunately got us a breakthrough. And that's kind of where you get into the game.
11:07 So I think it's always that delicate balance.
11:11 Pat, with a couple of century opening stands against you guys in the last couple of games,
11:14 does any consideration come to you to take the new ball potentially?
11:20 Not overly. Yeah, you know, kind of before the tournament, you bounce around plenty of different ideas.
11:27 But at the moment, you know, we look back at the last couple of games and, yeah, haven't got the wickets,
11:33 but there's probably been, you know, three chances in each first 10 overs that we just haven't got,
11:40 or, you know, LBW missed by millimetres or player misses.
11:43 So we've been really happy with the guys up front.
11:47 And is there an arrival date for Travis Head locked in at this point or?
11:50 I believe he's on a flight right now. Is that right?
11:57 Thank you.
12:02 Pat, quite an extraordinary thing that the Australian Cricketers Association have decided to do
12:08 in funding for the netballers in Australia.
12:12 Can you talk a bit about your thoughts on that and why you've decided to do it?
12:17 It's never been done before across sports, really.
12:21 Yeah, yeah, I can.
12:24 Yeah, obviously the netballers are in a bit of a tricky situation at the moment.
12:28 And, you know, we're in a similar situation six or seven years ago.
12:33 And we got some support that really helped the players.
12:38 And that was, I think, you know, from a few outside individuals.
12:42 So they asked for a lending hand and the ACA stepped up and said, yep, we're, you know,
12:48 we'll create a bit of a fund to help you out and hopefully get you through these next couple of months.
12:52 I know all the sports are pretty closely linked and all the players associations work really closely.
12:57 So, yeah, I thought it was a good opportunity to be able to help.
13:02 Pat, was there a sense of relief for you guys when you saw the Netherlands-South Africa result?
13:07 And how much does that open up the whole kind of situation for you?
13:14 Yeah, I mean, it was good.
13:17 I won't lie.
13:19 I think it just evens all the teams out, really.
13:22 So, yeah, they played really well.
13:24 We've got them after this game.
13:27 I think what we're seeing in this tournament is, you know, it's 10 really strong sides.
13:31 It's not sides that are just making up numbers.
13:34 They've all qualified and they're all here because they've earned their spot.
13:38 So, yeah, there's no easy games.
13:41 It's - everything's pretty full on.
13:44 Thanks, everyone.
13:45 Great.
13:46 That's right.