Former England skipper Michael Vaughan feels that Australian captain Pat Cummins is on track to become his team's second greatest cricketer, following the legendary Don Bradman, as his recent exploits speak volume. Cummins has been in exceptional form, achieving his third consecutive five-wicket haul in the third and final Test against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). "I saw a bit of DK Lillee (Dennis Lillie), but I think Pat Cummins," Vaughan remarked on Fox Cricket.
Vaughan highlighted that the 30-year-old Cummins has at least five to seven more years of playing ahead of him. He believes that in a few years, Cummins will be recognised as the greatest Australian cricketer after legendary Don Bradman.
"I do not think he is ever going to surpass Sir Don, but I think Pat Cummins is going to be Australia's greatest cricketer after Sir Don. I honestly think he is that good. His bowling. His captaincy. His numbers. He has five to seven years left to play," Vaughan said.
"I honestly think he is that good that we will be talking about him in a few years as being just behind Sir Don Bradman as the greatest Australian cricketer," he further added.
2023 will go down as the year dominated by captain Pat Cummins, whose calm and composed leadership steered the historically successful World Cup-winning Australian team to several significant championship victories. For Cummins, the year was bittersweet personally, as he endured the loss of his mother, Maria, to breast cancer in March. Nevertheless, his journey has been one of immense inspiration, marked by a deep passion for his sport and country, coupled with remarkable resilience, mental fortitude, and determination.
Under his leadership, the Australian team achieved great success, making not only the cricket world but, most importantly, his mother, proud. As a captain, Cummins successfully retained the Ashes in England with a 2-2 series draw, clinched the ICC World Test Championship, and led Australia to their sixth ODI World Cup title triumph victory last year. He ended the year on a high with a stunning victory over Pakistan in the Boxing Day Test, during which he achieved a remarkable ten-wicket haul, including two five-wicket hauls in each innings.
At the recent IPL auction in Dubai, Cummins was signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a whopping Rs 20.50 crore, briefly becoming the most expensive player in IPL history until his compatriot Mitchell Starc surpassed him with a Rs 24.75 crore contract with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Cummins concluded the year with an impressive tally of 59 wickets across 24 matches, boasting his best figures of 6/91. In this count, 42 wickets were taken in Tests and 17 in ODIs.
Apart from his bowling exploits, Cummins also came handy with the bat during the Ashes and the World Cup. He scored a total of 422 runs in 28 innings this year, averaging 21.10. Notable innings include his unbeaten 44 against England in the thrilling first Ashes Test and a vital 12* in a double-century partnership with Glenn Maxwell against Afghanistan in the Cricket World Cup.
In his international career spanning 196 games, Cummins has claimed 453 wickets at an average of 24.45, with best bowling figures of 6/23. He ranks as the ninth-highest wicket-taker for Australia in international cricket, with the legendary spinner Shane Warne leading the chart with 1,001 wickets.
Cummins has amassed 257 wickets in 58 Tests, 141 in 88 ODIs, and 55 in 50 T20Is.
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