Not two-time World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins! Australia confirms skipper for upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup

Mitchell Marsh has been nominated as the Australian T20 captain instead.

Not two-time World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins! Australia confirms skipper for upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup

Mitchell Marsh has been the temporary captain after Aaron Finch retired (Image via ESPN)

Pat Cummins has had an incredible 2023 as a captain. He led Australia to become world champions in the World Cup and World Test Championship. Cummins also retained the Ashes and didn’t lose a single Test match at home. 

With such a successful stint as captain, many expected the Pat Cummins to captain the Australian side in the 2024 T20 World Cup. But coach Andrew McDonald doesn’t want Cummins to captain, instead wanting to pick their star all-rounder as their T20 captain. 

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McDonald has informed Cricket Australia that he wants to keep Mitchell Marsh as the Australian T20 captain. Ever since Aaron Finch retired from the sport, Marsh has been captaining the Australian T20 side. He has captained the side for eight matches, winning seven matches and with Australia not playing a single T20 till the World Cup, Marsh will retain his role. 

Andrew McDonald defends Steve Smith despite poor form

Ever since David Warner retired from Test cricket, Steve Smith decided to take on the challenge of becoming an opener. He had never opened before, and had asked the team management if he could give his hand at the role. 

Steve Smith
Steve Smith walks off as the Kiwis celebrate his wicket (Image via ESPN)

He made his first stint as opener during the series with West Indies, where he scored only 29 runs in the three innings. He scored a 91* in the last innings of the series, but Shamar Joseph’s heroics won them the Gabba Test. 

Smith’s woes continued in the tour of New Zealand, where he managed only 51 runs in four innings. He is under fire for his poor form, but Andrew McDonald believes Smith will overcome the challenge. 

No doubt everyone is still asking the question around Steve Smith. He is a great player and his ability to problem solve is one of his great strengths. He's been challenged in these conditions. The surfaces have been new-ball wickets, and no doubt there will be a debate as to what his best position is. But he's up for the challenge, and I think any time that Steve Smith fails he sees it as a greater challenge.
Andrew McDonald on Steve Smith’s struggles as an opener to cricket.com.au.

Smith’s next series as a Test opener will be in the Australian summer of 2024/25, when Australia host India for the Border Gavaskar Trophy. 

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