Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan expressed skepticism regarding SunRisers Hyderabad’s decision to invest heavily in Pat Cummins during the IPL 2024 auction. Irfan Pathan said that Pat Cummins is yet to demonstrate his effectiveness in the shorter format.
Pat Cummins grabbed attention as the costliest purchase in IPL auction history, with SunRisers Hyderabad signing him for Rs 20.50 crore. However, Mitchell Starc broke this record, as he was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a whopping Rs 24.75 crore.
Pat Cummins Hasn’t Yet Proved Himself In T20 Cricket – Irfan Pathan
During a discussion on Star Sports, Irfan Pathan highlighted Pat Cummins‘ success in Test and ODI formats but expressed doubts about his T20 performances. Pathan questioned whether the hefty price tag aligns with his performance in the shorter format.
“Pat Cummins – WTC (World Test Championship) was red ball and he won the ODI World Cup final, which was 50 overs. His numbers are not that good in T20 cricket. However, when you place such a huge bid, you say how can you make him sit out. So that pressure will be there on them,” Pathan said.
“I believe Pat Cummins hasn’t yet proved himself in T20 cricket, forget about the IPL, even in Australian cricket. Does he captain Australia in T20Is? If he doesn’t even captain Australia in T20Is, there will be a question mark on such a huge price tag,” he added.
Cummins showcased his leadership prowess by leading the Australian cricket team to wins in the World Test Championship final and the 2023 World Cup. Despite his success in longer formats, the ace fast bowler hasn’t captained the national team in this format.
The 30-year-old bowler has secured 45 wickets in 42 IPL matches at an average of 30.16 and an economy rate of 8.54. He has taken 55 wickets in 50 T20Is with a reasonable economy rate of 7.37. Cummins hasn’t played a T20 match since the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Slight Headache In Choosing The Playing XI – Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan shared insights on SunRisers Hyderabad’s squad dynamics, highlighting the positive challenge of selecting the best playing XI. Pathan said that Wanindu Hasaranga’s inclusion in the team would improve the strategy and enhance the team’s performance.
“They will have a slight headache in choosing the playing XI but that’s a good thing. It’s better to have that headache instead of not having options at all. I feel the SunRisers will have a different combination than what they had last year, which I feel is a good change.”
“In the combination that is created, the shortcoming that has been there for the last few years can be overcome if they regularly play one player in the playing XI, that is Wanindu Hasaranga,” Pathan concluded.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) finished at the bottom of the table in the 2023 IPL season, having secured only four wins out of 14 matches. This prompted a management restructuring before the upcoming IPL season
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