Pat Cummins’ ‘Bazball’ admission as Aussie skipper drops big hint over David Warner’s Ashes future

Pat Cummins has confessed the reinvigorated England Test side’s achievements over the past 12 months has been “impressive”, but the Australians won’t be lured into trying to imitate “Bazball” this winter.

England has won ten of their 12 Tests since Brendon McCullum was appointed head coach in May last year, including an unprecedented 3-0 series whitewash over Pakistan in the subcontinent.

Led by Ben Stokes, the team has revolutionised their approach to the five-day format, counterattacking with the bat and making aggressive declarations. Since pursuing this fearless strategy, colloquially dubbed “Bazball”, England has looked capable of winning from any position.

As an ambassador for WeAre8, Cummins applauded England for turning their fortunes around, having won one of their previous 17 matches before McCullum took charge, including a 4-0 loss to Australia in the 2021/22 Ashes series.

“They’ve really stuck to their method and are willing to live and die by that method,” Cummins said.

“They’ve been impressive, they’ve found a way to play a totally different style that gives them the best chance of winning.

“Over the last 18 months, the way we’ve gone about it has been really succesful, so you don’t want to lose sight of that. I think that’s the most important - worry about what we do well, rather than looking at the opposition.”

Australia has lost just three of their 19 Tests since Cummins was appointed captain in December 2021, qualifying for this year’s World Test Championship final against India, who secured a 2-1 series victory in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Travis Head, who was dropped for the series opener in Nagpur, scored 235 runs at 47.00 during the low-scoring tour, opening the batting in the absence of the injured David Warner.

Despite Head’s success at the top of the order, Cummins is eager for the South Australian to return to his preferred position at No. 5, where he dominated during the recent home Test summer against the West Indies and South Africa.

“He’s been probably the best No. 5 batter in the world over the last couple of years, which is a tough spot in itself,” Cummins said.

“It really was a horses-for-courses (selection) over there in India. Those wickets are so foreign to what we’d get in Australia or England or somewhere else.

“I’d never say never, but I dare say he’s doing pretty well at No. 5.”

Warner is expected to open the batting in the WTC final and Ashes series despite a recent form slump, passing fifty just once in his most recent 15 Test knocks.

The left-hander, who turns 37 this year, is under mounting pressure to rediscover his mojo ahead of the England tour, a country where he has previously struggled with the bat.

“The bowlers can get on top over in England with the new ball. It seams around; it can be tough for opening batters,” Cummins said.

“But openers who can put pressure back on the bowlers, they’re priceless. I know as a bowler, if someone’s a sitting duck, you feel like you’re going to get them eventually. If someone’s kind of taking the game to you, it presents a different challenge. That’s been the hallmark of Davey’s career.

“Over there in England, that’s what you’d want out of him, putting that pressure back on the bowlers.”

When pressed directly on whether Warner would open in the Ashes, however, Cummins said: “We’ll have to wait and see.”

Cummins returned home following the second Test against India after his mother Maria, who had been battling breast cancer, was placed into palliative care in Sydney. She passed away earlier this month, with the Australian team wearing black armbands in tribute during the fourth Test in Ahmedabad.

“It’s been a really tough few weeks, probably a tough few years really as mum battled away,” Cummins said.

“Being home has been priceless, I’ve shared lots of good memories over the last few weeks in between the tough times, and had a really good send-off for mum.”

Cummins elected to miss the Indian Premier League this year, giving him a well-deserved break before preparation ramps up ahead of the WTC Final, which gets underway at The Oval on June 7.

“The last two years have been built up to this final, so to make it has been a huge achievement for this team,” Cummins said.

“It’s the biggest trophy, you could argue, in Test cricket. You’re competing against all other Test-playing nations.

“I’m really proud of how we’ve gone about it over the last two years to get into that position, and playing India in a neutral venue is going to be fun as well.”

Earlier this week, Cummins was announced as a new ambassador for WeAre8, a social media app where 50 per cent of profits go back to users’ pockets through a revolutionised advertising experience.

The 29-year-old, an outspoken advocate for climate action, has forwarded his WeAre8 earnings to Greening Australia.

“I normally love (social media), but then there’s also times when it’s not worth going on, especially for sports players when there’s a lot of hate on there, a lot of blowback,” Cummins said.

“When WeAre8 was starting, it just really excited me. It’s a platform where you can really show yourself in a hate-free environment. You can connect with like-minded people, be inspired by others, and also you can do a lot of good.

“There’s a function where you can earn a bit of money to then pay forward for different charities in Australia. All those things were kind of a home run for me.”