Former Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Ian Healy is worried about the workload management of Pat Cummins and don’t want him to carry the burden of captaincy for too long.
“I don’t want him [Cummins] carrying the burden of so much captaincy for too long,” Healy said on SENQ’s Pat and Heals.
“I want him to finish as just a bowler. The captaincy creates a burnout and four to five years is a long time as captain.
“He’s done a few years already. Now he’s adding short-form captaincy to his thought process 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.”
Healy backed middle-order batsman Travis Head to lead Australia in the near future.
“I think Travis Head is quite capable,” Healy said.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Pat Cummins will remain in Sydney and miss the third cricket test against India so he can be with his seriously ill mother, Cricket Australia said Friday.
Cummins flew home to Australia last Sunday immediately after the team’s second-test defeat to India in New Delhi.
Steve Smith will take over as captain for the third test.