Manchester: Former Australia Captain Ricky Ponting has described the captaincy style of Aussie skipper Pat Cummins as “old-fashioned” due to his strategic approach of setting fields and unravelling plans over a long period of time. The decisions made by both captains, Cummins and England skipper Ben Stokes, have come under scrutiny during the opening three games of the enthralling Ashes series.
Ponting highlighted the contrast in captaincy styles between Cummins and Stokes. Cummins adopts a more patient and traditional approach, allowing the field to be set and plans to unfold gradually. In contrast, Stokes seeks to make something happen with every ball, often preventing plans from fully developing.
Speaking on the latest episode of the ICC Review, Ponting commented, “I think this has been one of the most tactical series that I could remember, because of the two different styles of play and probably two contrasting styles of leadership as well.” He further elaborated on Cummins’ approach, stating, “Pat is more of an old-fashioned sort of Test match captain where he sets the field and lets plans sort of unravel over a long period of time.”
Ponting also mentioned that England’s decision to push Moeen Ali up to No. 3 might have influenced the decision to hold back inexperienced spinner Todd Murphy. However, Ponting acknowledged that the pitch at Headingley wasn’t taking much turn, which could have justified Australia’s decision not to utilise the spinner extensively.
Expressing his surprise at Cummins’ reluctance to introduce Murphy earlier, Ponting noted, “The only surprise that I had from the second innings of that game was that he probably didn’t use Murphy a little bit earlier, which would have given him a chance to get into the game.” Despite this, Ponting emphasised that Murphy should remain in the playing XI for the upcoming Test in Manchester.
Cummins is relatively new to captaincy, having taken charge of the Australian team in 2021. Under his leadership in the six previous series, Australia has lost only one (against India in 2023). In 18 Tests as captain, Cummins has led the team to 10 wins with just four losses, three of which came in Asian conditions.
Acknowledging Cummins’ limited experience as captain, Ponting remarked, “Pat is still fairly young in the job… I’m sure he’s learning along the way.” Ponting also emphasised the importance of waiting until the end of the series before passing judgement on the tactics employed by both captains.
“I’m not going to question Pat at all,” Ponting asserted. “The fact that Australia are 2-1 up says he’s done a good job for me… At the end of the day, I think the tactics are better off waiting to see what the result is at the end of the series, and then we’ll be able to critique both captains based on the outcome.”
As the Ashes series intensifies, fans eagerly await the final verdict on the captaincy strategies employed by Pat Cummins and Ben Stokes. The remaining matches in the series will ultimately determine the success of their respective tactics.
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