Andrew McDonald fires again at Pat Cummins’ harshest Ashes critics
Australia’s coach Andrew McDonald has fired again at former state team-mate Darren Berry, making clear he has little time for the Victorian’s opinions on Pat Cummins‘ captaincy.
Berry was amongst Australia’s harshest critics throughout the drawn fourth Ashes Test, launching a tirade of tweets about Cummins on day three.
Included in them had been claims Cummins ought to resign as captain after the Ashes, resulting from short-ball techniques Berry labelled as each maddening and unwatchable.
Berry has historical past with a number of of the Australians, together with McDonald, who he captained at Victoria and later coached at South Australia. McDonald has been a staunch supporter of Cummins’ captaincy, and shot down any suggestion the tempo bowler ought to resign.
“I was across those comments from Darren. They were most interesting,” McDonald mentioned forward of Thursday’s fifth Ashes Test at The Oval. “What I would say is leadership takes on all different shapes and forms.
“And if we’re residing and dying on the planet of techniques solely, then I believe it is truthful and cheap to critique among the execution and techniques that we applied.
“But to go as far as suggesting that the captain resign post-series I think is a bit far fetched. There are opinions that we respect and opinions that we don’t.”
McDonald has not spoken to his former team-mate and coach over the feedback, and seems unlikely to take action.
Cummins endured the worst Test of his profession at Old Trafford, going for 1 for 129 with the ball as England’s all-out assault took maintain.
He has since insisted the captaincy didn’t have an effect on his efficiency, adamant he’s advantageous with the workload on the sphere.
Yep I’m in mattress @MervHughes332 however cannot sleep. Here is my take Pat Cummins is a powerful cricketer little doubt however keep in mind this msg. He will resign from the captaincy after the Ashes sequence. The Q is do they return to Smudge or transfer ahead to Head or Marsh? Ashton Turner T20
— Darren Berry (@ChuckBerry1969) July 21, 2023
Under Cummins Australia has received 11 Tests and misplaced 4, profitable the World Test Championship and retaining the Ashes alongside the best way.
Australia, nevertheless, do know techniques want to vary for Thursday’s last Test at The Oval if they’re to safe their first sequence victory in England in 22 years with a win or draw.
They went quick and straight to Zak Crawley too typically in his blistering 189 from 181 balls in Manchester, whereas quite a few possibilities created exterior off stump to the opener didn’t go handy.
McDonald conceded his facet’s plans had unravelled with the ball, however was insistent Australia had been the higher staff within the first 4 Tests and wouldn’t go to The Oval with out solutions.
“We’ll revisit those plans and the way that we go about it and the personnel that we pick to execute those plans,” McDonald mentioned. “It was a disappointing three days or so. We’re not going to shy away from that. We own it.
“The means that Zak got here out and put stress on us, you have to give some credit score to the opposition as effectively. But this staff’s performed some nice cricket over the past eight months. So to evaluate us on three days can be very harsh.”