- Test skipper came under fire from fans and former players
- Was attacked by the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Shane Warne
Australian Test cricket captain Pat Cummins has revealed the shock support he got from a prominent leader during one of the toughest periods of his career to date.
Cummins was forced to absorb the slings and arrows of cricket fans and former players alike in 2022 when coach Justin Langer and the Test side parted ways.
Langer had been in the role since May 2018, leading the team to several significant victories, including the 2021-22 Ashes series win.
However, he came under fire following player unrest and dissatisfaction with his coaching style.
The former Test opener then walked away from the side after he was offered – and rejected – a six-month contract with no chance of an extension.
Because it was claimed player unrest helped force Langer out the door, Cummins wore the brunt of criticism.
Former Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson called Cummins ‘gutless’ in his newspaper column while Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist also criticised the way their old teammate had been forced to exit the Test team.
‘When Justin’s contract wasn’t renewed, it put me right in the firing line,’ Cummins writes in his new book Tested.
‘During the process I felt a real responsibility to be respectful of the process, and also to be open, transparent and honest, but always through the right avenues.
‘I was never going to get caught up in the public firefight.’
Cummins made the stunning revelation that he had received support from former Prime Minister Julia Gillard during that hostile period of his career.
He has dedicated a chapter in his book to the former PM and interviews Gillard about how she handled a barrage of personal attacks during her time in politics.
‘Like for Julia, a lot of the conversation was brought down to a low level – which had nothing to do with what was right or wrong for the team – and was distracted by ridiculous commentary and name-calling,’ Cummins wrote.
‘Things snowballed in the media but what I find funny is that when the big things in the media end up being incorrect you become desensitised to the hyperbole.
‘I got through it by remembering that my job is to look after Australian cricket, not the ex-players.’
Cummins has come under fire several times during his career for everything from the Langer saga to his stance on climate change and the Australian team taking a knee for Black Lives Matter.
‘I think in this position you’re always going to upset people no matter whether you do or don’t do something,’ he said back in 2022.
‘That’s fine. I know what I signed up for but I also think we are cricket players….you can’t leave your values at the door. People stand for different things.’
The Aussie skipper also praised the Test squad for the way they handled the divorce from Langer, who lashed out at unnamed “cowards” on the BackChat Podcast, who he claimed complained about his intense coaching style.
He later clarified in a Channel 7 interview that he did not mean the players.
‘There’s no cowards in the Australian cricket team, not ever,’ Cummins said at the time.
‘I thank Justin for clarifying his remarks afterwards.
‘He had a think about it and clarified it, so I thank him for that.
‘But we’re really proud of the last 12 months, how we’ve fronted up, the way we’ve played, the way we’ve conducted ourselves.
‘Players can certainly hold their heads high.’
