Pat Cummins reveals secret Whatsapp group with Scott Morrison and Justin Langer
Pat Cummins has revealed his embarrassing group chat blunder after former PM Scott Morrison added him to a bizarre chat group.
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison is at the centre of another gaffe, outed by Test captain Pat Cummins for trying to get in the fast bowler’s good books through a private Whatsapp group.
Season two of the Amazon documentary series ‘The Test’ revealed Morrison added Cummins to a chat group entitled “Legends”, consisting of himself and then-coach Justin Langer, immediately after his appointment as Test captain.
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Cummins recalled his mind immediately went to the other WhatsApp group he’s a part of called “Legends”, one that consists of Australia’s ‘fast bowlers cartel’, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
“I thought, ‘geez, I better not get these two mixed up.’ And I did once,” Cummins told News Corp.
“I think I sent something to the Prime Minister …(about) dinner plans.”
Cummins revealed that Morrison would message him on the morning of a day’s play.
“Just me, JL and the prime minister.”
“Every day’s play there was a ‘good luck, go get ‘em today’.”
Morrison is not the first Prime Minister to court the national side, with Anthony Albanese the most recent leader to host the Test team and visitors at Kirribilli House as part of the traditional Sydney Test celebrations in January.
The public reveal of Morrison’s involvement in the national side comes after the former PM lashed Cricket Australia in 2021 following a recommendation to dump the words “Australia Day” from Big Bash fixtures played on January 26.
“A bit more focus on cricket, and a bit less focus on politics, would be my message to Cricket Australia,” Morrison said in 2021.
It is not former coach Justin Langer’s only brush with power either, with the 52-year-old linked last year to a plan to install him as the leader of the WA Liberals heading into the 2025 state election.
The Perth native rubbished rumours of the move, saying on the BackChat podcast in November last year there was “more chance of me having a baby than going into politics”.
The second season of the Amazon series details the Australian cricket team’s transition under Pat Cummins after the Tim Paine sexting saga, as well as Justin Langer’s eventual falling out with the national side, seeing him dumped after a home Ashes series win and T20 World Cup success.
Cricket Australia and Langer mutually agreed to part ways last February after players expressed concerns over his coaching style.
The documentary reveals that players felt they were “walking on eggshells” around him.
“There were plenty of guys who don’t speak up, who don’t talk, and were afraid of JL,” said Usman Khawaja in the first episode of the documentary.
“That’s the truth.”
Spin bowler Nathan Lyon described Langer’s coaching style as an emotional rollercoaster.
“I’ve always said you can never criticise someone who is extremely passionate in what they do, and that’s exactly what JL is,” Lyon said.
“Did I struggle with some of the ups and downs? Yeah. Probably the biggest feedback from myself was just emotional levels (from) JL.”
The players said Langer took a back seat and did everything asked of him, but they were clearly eager for a change.
“JL was given feedback from the senior players in our group around certain things they wanted him to improve on I guess as a coach,” Mitch Marsh said.
“He listened and he did everything that was asked of him as the playing group.”
Khawaja added: “I genuinely believe that JL brought humility back into the Australian cricket team.”