“It was time to formally recognize that”- Pat Cummins on Travis Head getting a nod as vice-captain for Australia’s test test

Travis Head will be co-vice-captain of Australian test team along with Steve Smith.

Australia captain Pat Cummins welcomed the decision to appoint Travis Head as the co-vice-captain of Australian team for the upcoming test summer. Head, who was the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 hero, will be Cummins’ deputy along with Steve Smith.

Head, 29,-years-old was added to Australia’s leadership group on Wednesday, just a day before from the first test against Pakistan in Perth. Head had previously been a co-vice-captain of the test team alongside Cummins when Tim Paine was captain.

Smith remains the senior vice-captain and will be the first choice to replace Cummins when necessary. Smith has filled in for Cummins in four different test matches over the last two years when Cummins has been unable to play due to a variety of circumstances.

“Really excited to have Trav on board as the co-vice-captain. He’s been playing for a long time. He’s always been a leader in our group. So we thought it was a good time to formally recognise that. Whilst nothing’s imminent, Steve’s not going to play forever. I daresay I’m not going to captain forever. So we feel like we’ve got some responsibility to future-proof the team and start trying to give opportunities to other leaders,” Cummins was quoted by cricket.com.au.

Head is one of the top prospects to replace Cummins as Australia’s long-term skipper. He has long been regarded as a potential leader in Australian cricket.

Pat Cummins on Travis Head being future Australia captain

Head has captained South Australia in 62 Shield matches, in 27 List A matches and led Adelaide Strikers to a BBL title in 2017-18. He also captained Worcestershire in a List A game in 2018.

Cummins stopped short of confirming that Head was the heir apparent, the captain noted that his own experience as a vice-captain had helped his transition to the role exponentially.

“It doesn’t guarantee anything. But we’re giving him a good opportunity. So when you look through the candidates for future captains, of course, he’s going to be right up there. And I know in my last couple years before I became captain, being in some of those conversations as a vice-captain really helped fast-track my readiness. So down the track, it might be Trav, it might be someone else, but we want to make sure they’re as prepared as they can be.

I think the personality that he brings to the team is something that we all love. And I think you see it in the way he plays his cricket. There’s a certain amount of freedom to it. He takes the game on. He enjoys it. He’s always got a smile on his face. He never takes anything too seriously. He’s great at bringing the team together for team morale, for putting his arm around players that need it,” Cummins added.

Australia XI for Perth Test: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

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