Ex-Victorian captain Darren Berry sharply critiqued Pat Cummins' leadership during the Ashes series in England, particularly on the third day of the fourth Test, where Australia faced a significant loss. However, following an outstanding display of leadership from Pat Cummins after Australia's phenomenal Test series victory against Pakistan, Berry has retracted his earlier criticism and publicly apologised, especially for his earlier call for Cummins to step down after the Old Trafford Test loss against England.
In the first innings of the Fourth Test at Old Trafford, England amassed a formidable 592 runs, marking their first home Ashes Test score over 500 since 1985. This innings saw six of England’s top seven batsmen scoring at least 50 runs, a feat England last achieved in 1930. Cummins' decision to persist with a short-ball strategy on the third day, despite Jonny Bairstow's aggressive 66-run partnership with Jimmy Anderson for the last wicket, drew significant criticism.
Berry, at that time, audaciously predicted in a tweet that Cummins would relinquish his captaincy post-Ashes. He stated, “Here is my take Pat Cummins is a magnificent cricketer no doubt but remember this msg. He will resign from the captaincy after the Ashes series. The Q is do they go back to Smudge or move forward to Head or Marsh? Ashton Turner T20.”
Earlier that day, Berry had expressed his frustration in a tweet, stating, "This is unwatchable. Goodnight to all lovers of our great game of cricket. This is absolutely insane for anyone who understands the game even a little. Enough is enough, keep banging ‘em in guys, WTF."
When Cameron Green eventually concluded the innings by getting Anderson out LBW with a fastball, Berry sarcastically commented, “Well, knock me over with a feather, a fastball at the stumps to the No. 11 gets him out. I’m shocked. What a circus. Never witnessed anything like this before.”
At Old Trafford, Pat Cummins experienced his poorest statistical performance, ending with figures of 1-129. Amidst this wave of criticism, he received strong support from Australia's head coach Andrew McDonald, who publicly expressed his belief in Cummins and defended him.
“I came across those comments from Darren. They were most interesting. What I would say is leadership takes on all different shapes and forms. And if we’re living and dying in the world of tactics only, then I think it’s fair and reasonable to critique some of the execution and tactics that we implemented. But to go as far as suggesting that the captain resign post-series I think is a bit far-fetched. There are opinions that we respect and opinions that we don’t,” McDonald said.
Darren Berry has retracted his earlier criticisms following Pat Cummins' strategic brilliance in the MCG's Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, where Cummins also achieved a personal milestone of a 10-wicket haul. This victory secured Australia a 2-0 series win over Pakistan.
Berry acknowledged his error on Twitter, writing, “Pat Cummins I was wrong. I questioned your tactical nous and your tenure as skipper during the frustrating Ashes series “Once again today at the G you have led our country over the line with your big [heart emoji] & immense skill, they were never in question. I’m so happy to eat my words.”
The series between Australia and Pakistan now proceeds to Sydney for the third and final Test. This match will be particularly notable as it marks the retirement of veteran opener David Warner from Test cricket, after which he will focus exclusively on limited-overs formats.
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