In the just-finished IPL 2024, Pat Cummins showed ruthlessness with the ball. After winning the major tournament in India, the famous pacer—who was never recognised for his bowling in the game’s shortest format—became a formidable bowler. In an analysis of his T20 bowling adjustments, Cummins revealed that he avoids the “funky stuff” that typically occurs in the shortest format prior to his match against Oman on June 5.
The captain of Australia’s ODI and T20I teams stated that, as a speed bowler, he adheres to the proper line and length and doesn’t alter for each format. In T20 cricket, he pointed out that balance is crucial, but ultimately, it’s what matters. According to the 31-year-old, in order to achieve the desired outcome, he doesn’t bowl cutters or round the wicket—instead, he plays to his strengths.
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Thus, I’m not at my best if I try to start bowling. dunno, leg cutters, and round-the-wicket crazy stuff. My strength is bowling hard length, which is why I was selected as a fast bowler. Pat Cummins stated in ESPN’s Cricket Monthly, “Therefore, in T20 cricket, it is always a balance, especially of mixing up your own strengths as a player but then not being too predictable and always throwing something different at the batters.”
“In some games, you walk out feeling like you got the balance just right. In other games, though, you kind of regret hitting one or two balls and think you should have tried a little harder or a little harder. Thus, the struggle never ends,” he continued.
Although Pat Cummins believes that bowling in Twenty20 cricket is somewhat difficult, Test cricket is far harder than T20 cricket. He thinks it’s far harder to bowl 20 overs in a day and then return the next day to do it again than it is to stay balanced when playing T20 cricket.
Thus, it still seems possible to make a significant difference. However, I don’t think anything is more difficult than bowling 20 overs in a day’s play, retiring to bed, and then having to repeat the process, much like in a cricket Test match, Cummins remarked.