John Buchanan says Pat Cummins can follow Glenn McGrath as the ‘banker’ in World Cup campaign
Former Australian coach John Buchanan reveals the ‘banker’ behind his dual World Cup triumph and guns Justin Langer can rely on for a successful title defence.
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Every triumphant World Cup coach has one.
Pat Cummins can be the enduring ‘banker’ for coach Justin Langer that Glenn McGrath was to John Buchanan in Australia’s 2003 and 2007 titles, allowing Mitch Starc to run wild.
Buchanan notes the halo effect of a key bowler that delivers intangible confidence, cover to take gambles and certainty for skippers in a competition format
McGrath took a record 26 wickets at the 2007 Caribbean showpiece and remains all-time leading World Cup wicket-taker with 71.
“You have a banker, someone you know you can build things around,” said Buchanan, recalling how McGrath’s rock solid brilliance allowed Shaun Tait to blast out 23 wickets at 20 in 2007.
“Pat Cummins is one of those bankers. He is there if you need wickets, stem a flow of runs, someone to do something special with the bat and making sure everyone is well grounded.
“McGrath was a star bowler, finisher and got the ball in the right areas which allowed us to go with a wildcard. Shaun Tait could leak runs and be erratic but potentially pick you up a few wickets.
“McGrath gave that solidity and experience to the bowling attack.”
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McGrath’s 250 one-day starts yielded three World Cups, 381 wickets at 22.02 and highest percentage of wickets in wins at 79 per cent.
Cummins packs 150km/h heat and played just 50 one-day games for 87 wickets but shares similar traits with “Pigeon”.
“Each player wants to improve their game. That was a feature of Glenn McGrath,” Buchanan told The Advertiser.
“He kept working on little things physically, skilfully, tactically in his game to remain relevant and potent to the end of his career.
“Cummins is obviously a very talented athlete and carries himself well whether successful with the ball or not. He is a very important part of the arsenal that Justin Langer has got there.
“In England there could be rotation which will work against an individual repeating the feats of the past but Cummins could be one of those players.”
Starc was player of the 2015 World Cup with 22 wickets at 10 for Australia and decimated the West Indies’ lower order in a 15-run win at Trent Bridge on Thursday. Cummins knocked over opener Evin Lewis (1) and top scorer Shai Hope (68) before Starc’s 5/46 onslaught.
Starc is the fastest bowler to 150 wickets but can be prone to inaccuracy between match-winning exploits.
Buchanan correlates the way Starc will thrive in England with Cummins as Tait did backing McGrath in the Caribbean.
“To me he rates like a Shaun Tait in 2007, every chance he will pick up wickets, not sure when and maybe his performances might be variable. Nonetheless, his attributes as a tall, quick, left-armer who can move the ball are great weapons in this competition,” said Buchanan of Starc.
Lost in McGrath’s 2007 World Cup heroics are reservations Australia’s hierarchy held about taking a 37-year-old on the verge of full retirement to dusty Caribbean pitches.
McGrath’s bowling smarts would come to the fore in conjunction with meticulous research from performance analyst Richard McInnes.
“There was some doubt about him being selected in the first place for 2007. He had announced his retirement from Test cricket,” said Buchanan, who runs Buchanan Success Coaching and steers Brisbane grade side Wests.
“Not saying he wasn’t going to be picked, but we lost Brett Lee. That certainly made it that we needed experience in the tournament.
“He bowled exceptionally well. He adjusted very quickly, mind mapped where he had played in the West Indies and adapted that to his bowling for line, length or pace. He had — like Shane Warne — the skill to deliver that.”
If McGrath’s presence smoothed Buchanan’s World Cup blueprints then teammates felt indebted to their spearhead despite his self-appointed mantle as team ‘pest’.
“Having an opening bowler you know will get the job done every time just breathes a ton of confidence into a group,” former Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds told The Advertiser.
“He doesn’t give the opposition an inch, is hugely competitive and proud.”
Buchanan was charged with extracting the best from a golden generation headlined by Warne, McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting.
World Cup triumphs in 2003 and 2007 ensued through South Africa and the Caribbean spliced by Australia’s Test dominance.
Langer’s 2019 World Cup unit doesn’t have the superstars Buchanan enjoyed but ‘Alfie” is making it tight on and off-field says Buchanan. Discipline is a trademark.
“I think he has done a tremendous job in bringing the group together and harnessing the talent with all the influences going on,” said Buchanan, applauding Langer’s reintegration of Steve Smith and David Warner.
“Where Australia was five months ago, before going to India, you would have thought on odds Australia would have been an outsider,” he said.
Langer’s men have India and England as heavyweight foes to quell in their title defence but stand every chance of a sixth World Cup trophy.
“There are a lot of things being said about Smith and Warner but if Australia is playing well it will be words of the duck’s back,” said Buchanan.
Australia’s big tournament DNA commands respect.
“They would have to be a very good chance of making the semi finals and then it is one off games, winner takes all,” Buchanan said.
Originally published as John Buchanan says Pat Cummins can follow Glenn McGrath as the ‘banker’ in World Cup campaign
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