Cummins Favourite for Award Zampa Wants Twin-Spin Attack to Turn T20
50 SPORT SATURDAY JANUARY 18 2020 Cummins favourite Salt gives Heat curry for award SAM LANDSBERGER GOLDEN boy Patrick Cum- mins has been backed by team- mates to create history and become the first bowler to win in dominant victory back-to-back Allan Border medals. Cummins, 26, was this week named the ICC Test Player of the Year with his 59 wickets in 2019 a staggering 14 more than Nathan Lyon at No.2. Cummins (12 Tests) enjoyed the most prolific calendar year by an Australian fast bowler since Mitchell Johnson grab- bed 63 wickets from 13 Tests in 2009. A News Corp survey of some of Australia’s top cricket- ers revealed that Cummins was the popular choice to join Ricky Ponting (2004, 2006-07, 2009), Michael Clarke (2005, 2009, 2012-13), Shane Watson (2010-11), David Warner (2016-17) and Steve Smith (2015, 2018) as a multiple AB Medal recipient. Cummins would also be- come the youngest player to win the prestigious award twice. “Hard to go past Pat Cum- mins,” Australia’s white-ball captain Aaron Finch said. “Playing most games in all formats … I can’t see anyone pipping Patty Cummins. Now I’ve thought about it more, I think that he might win it by the length of the straight, and it’ll be a fight for who’s second and third.” Voting closed after this month’s Sydney Test, with the current ODI series in India – which includes Warner’s fifth century of the summer – counting towards next year’s medal. While Mitchell Starc played Territory product Jake Weatherald impressed, while Phil Salt (inset) was on fire in the Strikers’ big win over Brisbane Heat Pictures: AAP/GETTY just one Ashes Test, he started the medal cycle with a 10-wick- STEVE BARRETT cluding five sixes) and Jake the table and received a huge (0-47) for a four and two post double figures in a reck- et haul against Sri Lanka, fin- Weatherald (33 not out) net run-rate boost.
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