Former Australia wicketkeeping great Ian Healy has urged Pat Cummins to leave Test captaincy in order to avoid 'captaincy burnout' and focus solely on his fast-bowling skills.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Cummins was appointed as Australia's Test captain in November of 2021 and was made ODI skipper late last year when Aaron Finch retired. The 29-year old was also the best red ball bowler in the Test rankings till England's James Anderson dethroned him from the top spot recently.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With him now not available for the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against India at the Holkar Stadium in Indore due to a serious family illness, Australia's prospect of fighting back in the series, where they are currently 2-0 behind, takes a serious beating.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"I don't want him carrying the burden of so much captaincy for too long. I want him to finish (as just a bowler). The captaincy creates a burnout and four to five years is a long time as a captain."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"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. So yeah, I would like to see him finish his career as a tearaway fast bowler and someone else with the captaincy burden," said Healy to the SEN Radio show on Friday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
As of now, Cummins' average of 21.50 with the ball is the best of any Australian bowler to take over 200 wickets in Test cricket, as is his strike rate of 47.2.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Asked on who should be Cummins' long-term successor, Healy thought left-handed batter Travis Head could be a suitable candidate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"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," he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"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)," he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"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," he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n