Ashes news: Allan Border’s warning to new captain Pat Cummins

Allan Border has backed Pat Cummins to be a success in the captaincy role – but the warm words came with a warning.

Allan Border has declared Pat Cummins will unite Australian cricket but has warned of the sleepless nights and exhaustion ahead in one of sport’s most brutal jobs.

Speaking on a day when a four-tonne bronze statue was unveiled of him at the Gabba, Test great Border spoke glowingly of Cummins’ potential as Australia’s 47th Test captain.

But the realist in him could not sugar-coat the challenges of being a fast bowling skipper.

“He is one bloke who is universally liked in that group,’’ Border said on the eve of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba.

“They will all play for him. That is a good start. I think he can bring them together.

“But for Patty it is new ground. He will be exhausted after his first Test. Don’t worry about bowling for 40 overs.

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Pat Cummins will be under huge mental strain as first-time Test captain. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

“It will be the mental side of it all. How to get people out. All that stuff just grounds you down. It will be interesting to see how he copes.

“You cannot really prepare for it. You go home at night and the brain is switched on. You will still be thinking about things at midnight. You don’t know how it is until you have done it.

“You can run from slip to slip all day, feel you are doing nothing, then you think “bloody hell, I am knackered.’’ It wears you down. He will ride every ball when the team is batting or bowling.’’

Border believes one essential ingredient for Cummins to handle the job is to temporarily escape from it.

“A big thing is getting away from it. I played golf. You need that brain cleanser, that break. Pat has a new bambino (son Albie). That could be it. Freshen up. Pat is the sort of guys who relishes hard work but the pressure is more mental.’’

Allan Border poses at the unveiling of The Allan Border statue at The Gabba. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

The stress levels on Border’s leadership were acute after he took over from a tearful Kim Hughes and he can now smile at the memory of his worst sleepless night in the Gabba Ashes Test in 1990-91 when he dropped Allan Lamb late on day two before Australia raced to victory the next day.

“I caught and dropped that ball 45,000 times that night,’’ Border said.

“The next day Lambie got out in the first few overs after and I had missed eight hours sleep worrying about it.’’

Border was suitably humbled to be honoured by a statue which captures his signature cover drive.

The concept was sparked by Ian Botham in a Howie Games podcast when he said Border deserved a statue outside every ground in Australia and the line was overheard by project driver David Conry.

“I was a bit nervous about today because its unusual and different but it has been a very good project to be part of after initial hesitancy,’’ Border said.

“Linda (sculptor Linda Klarfeld) has done a great job. Just the attention to detail to make it me 30 years ago. I was interested to see how close she could get. I have seen some statues which have been a bit questionable but Linda has got it right.’’

Pat Cummins inspects the Gabba pitch ahead of the first Ashes Test. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

DISASTER AVERTED: BORDER STANDS FIRM IN STATUE DRAMA

Allan Border was in danger of being the first Australian batsman to fall at the Gabba this week before a generous benefactor saved the day.

It was not Border himself under threat but his bronzed statue which will be unveiled at the Gabba on Tuesday afternoon.

Initially there were plans to place the statue in the centre of a park outside the western perimeter of the ground but last week statue organisers became alerted to the fact the old concrete slab on which it was to be erected may not have been strong enough to support the four tonne work of art.

Test great Border spent his 17-year Test career standing firm against mighty fast bowling attacks and the thought of his statue tilting or tumbling in the way the man himself never did sent a shudder through the project’s organisers.

There were also fears the truck carrying the statue into the park, still sodden after recent rain, would ruin the grass and could even become bogged.

A frantic ring around on Thursday and Friday last week looped in Mick Power, one of a group of private backers for the statue, who was just the man for the crisis given he is head of the construction company, the BMD Group.

The statue come about after Sir Ian Botham suggested there should be a statue of Border outside every major ground in Aus. Pic: Sam Tabone

Power, who quietly donates more than $2 million annually to Queensland sports clubs and charities, swung into action by getting his own men to do the job.

“I got the call on Thursday that we had all bases covered except erecting the thing,’’ Power said.

“I got our national general manager for design and engineering involved. With the statue weighing four tonnes we were a bit concerned about the damage could do to the park taking it in.

“So we got permission in record time from the council and Stadiums Queensland to put the statue at a different part of the park. We got some of the boys in to pour the slab on Friday.

“This was the best option. Had the statue gone in the middle of the park AB could have ended up tilting to the left or right. We couldn’t have that.’’

The statue came about after Ian Botham suggested to Mark Howard on a Howie Games podcast that there should be a statue of Border outside every major ground in Australia and a group of Border’s mates raised about $150,000 for the project.

Botham said he was proud of the concept.

“Well I didn’t say it for any other reason than I genuinely believe that he’s the guy who sat there and turned Australian cricket around when it was in the doldrums,’’ Botham said.

“He got called captain Grumpy because of the way he did it, etc, etc, I can tell you now, I have nothing but great admiration for Allan Border and what he achieved, as a player, as a captain and as a person.’’