Sydney: Former Australia wicket-keeper Ian Healy doesn’t want Pat Cummins to “carry the burden of captaincy for too long” as the high-pressure job might lead to a “burnout.”
Healy added that he wants to see the Australian pace spearhead concentrate on his bowling and end his career as a tearaway fast bowler.
Cummins has been leading the Australian Test team since November 2021 and took over as ODI skipper late last year. He is also a front-runner to lead the T20 side.
“I don’t want him carrying the burden of so much captaincy for too long. I want him to finish (as just a bowler),” Healy said on Sen Radio.
“The captaincy creates a burnout and four to five years is a long time as a captain,” Healy added.
Before coming to India, Cummins had faced just one defeat as Test captain. However, Australia suffered back-to-back losses in the Nagpur and Delhi Tests to concede the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
The 29-year-old returned home after the Delhi Test to be with his mother who his ill and will miss the third Test, starting March 1.
“He’s done a few years (as Test captain) already, now he’s adding (short-form captaincy) to his thought processes at a time when he’s dealing with some sort of family illness back home,” Healy said.
“So yeah, I would like to see him finish his career as a tearaway fast bowler and someone else with the captaincy burden.”
Healy picked Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell as Cummins’ successor.
“I think Travis Head is quite capable. He’s led South Australia since he was a 21-year-old, he’s quite capable and has got a lot of experience.”
“He’s the main one that stands out to me. The likes of Glenn Maxwell might be able to do parts of it (in the short form), but as far as longer-term captaincy prospects other than Travis Head, I can’t think (of any).”
PTI