Cummins: Gallipoli trip united squad ahead of World Cup defence

May 27 (CRICKETNMORE) - In the weeks ahead, with the ten ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup teams playing each other before four progress to the semi-finals, expect plenty of quotes about losing a battle but not the war.

And while just one team will be triumphant and nine will be ultimately vanquished, perhaps it pays not to stretch the metaphor too far, losing your wicket is never the ultimate sacrifice.

Perspective is important in these matters, something not lost on Australia’s 26-year old vice-captain Pat Cummins.

Before arriving in England, Cummins and his team-mates travelled to Gallipoli, the Turkish peninsula where 11,000 Australians and New Zealanders lost their lives in a disastrous Allied offensive just over 104 years ago.

It was fiasco that forged a storied legend, the first military campaign for a youthful nation, which still remains entrenched in the definition of what it means to be Australian.

“We never realised how big an impact it would have on us, how 15 egotistical blokes can be so moved by such an emotional and humbling experience,” said Cummins. “We learned a lot about ourselves and our team-mates.

“You are taught about Gallipoli at school but until you are there you cannot grasp the full picture. It kicked off our World Cup, spending four days totally away from cricket, understanding more about our culture and history and the values those Diggers had.

“We all took so much from it and by the time we landed in England we felt like we were a really tight unit.

“Until you are standing over a gravestone learning what these guys, who were the same age as us now, did for their country, you can’t really understand it.

“Their sacrifices for their mates just really hit home. It just stripped everything back, when you are there, you realise what’s important in life, why you like playing cricket and hanging out with your mates on this team.

“Hopefully when we are in the crux of the tournament and we are coping pressure and heat, you’ve got those mates to fall back on.”

Cummins, eloquent and thoughtful, perfectly strikes the balance between his leadership role and being ‘one of the blokes’.

But it’s how he performs with the ball in the days ahead that will be his ultimate cricketing judge. 

Brett Lee, who knows how to inspire Australia to World Cup success, taking 22 wickets in the 2003 tournament, believes this could be Cummins’ time, labelling him his ‘one to watch’.

It’s a compliment that the world’s leading Test match bowler shrugs aside, acknowledging his ODI career - with 82 wickets from 48 matches - remains a work in progress.

“It’s nice of Brett to say that,” he added.

“I’m bowling as well as I ever have. I still feel this is a format of the game that I’ve not been able to totally dominate. I’ve had a couple of good series but you judge yourself on how you go in the big tournaments, so I’m just pumped for this.

“I’m bowling better with the new ball and hopefully there’s wickets in the middle overs and I can limit the damage at the death. It’s all falling together at the right time.”

ICC