Pat Cummins & Quinton de Kock speak ahead of Australia v South Africa in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023

Pat Cummins & Quinton de Kock speak ahead of Australia v South Africa in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

[Reporter:]

It is a familiar ground for Stoinis and also, we saw him practicing last evening. So, will he be in the squad for tomorrow’s match?

[Pat Cummins:]

He's fit so yeah, we'll announce a team tomorrow but it's a ground he knows pretty well. I think chatting to him and a couple of other guys, it’s probably in a bit of a different condition to what it is for IPL. The wicket looks really good so yeah, he's someone we'll look at pretty closely.

[Reporter:]

How is the mood of the team right now after losing the first match? And what are your plans for this match?

[Pat Cummins:]

Yeah, disappointed after the first match. Yeah, we weren't at our best. So, yeah, everyone's pretty driven the last few days. Everyone's trained really well and yeah, I'm ready to go for this one.

[Reporter:]

What is your experience and opinion about this ground, about this pitch? And what will you do - have you seen the pitch and what will you do if you won the toss? Anything decided?

[Pat Cummins:]

I don't know. We'll judge tomorrow for the toss. But it's a beautiful stadium. I thought I had been here, but I don't think I have. Beautiful ground. The wicket looks really good. I haven't had a look at it today, but last night looked really good, really even. So maybe a bit of pace and bounce. Yeah, so we'll see how it is tomorrow.

[Reporter:]

Will it be a high-scoring match?

[Pat Cummins:]

Potentially yeah, it looks like. When it's a good wicket - which that looks like - most of the games have been 300 plus

[Reporter:]

How's Adam Zampa tracking? I understand the ball was pretty hard to grip for a wrist spinner the other night. But was there still some sort of lingering soreness there from those neck and shoulder issues he's had in the past?

[Pat Cummins:]

I don't know to be honest. I think he was okay. Yeah, his prep leading in was probably a bit lighter than he would normally have but yeah, I wouldn't look too far into the last game. I thought he bowled okay but it's pretty hard defending 200 and trying to create something out of nothing - so I'm sure he'd be great out there. Again, if you have a bit more of a total to bowl to, he's one of our key guys.

[Reporter:]

Just on that front, Pat, given how difficult it was for the spinners to control the ball with the dew the other night, are you going to be inclined going forward to bowl first if you do win the toss?

[Pat Cummins:]

I think it's different at every venue So, you know here it's whatever a few thousand kilometres away from Chennai - it's a bit different. Probably have another look tonight see if there's dew - but it doesn't seem like there's as much dew at this ground. But yeah, I don't really have a strong opinion on the dew in one day cricket. Some games, the ball gets heavy, and it's actually better to bowl at night. In other games, it gets so slippery that it's hard to grip onto. So, it's kind of, it's a bit different to T20 cricket.

[Reporter:]

You spoke prior to the first game about the middle overs, how crucial they are in one day cricket and generally teams that take the most wickets in the middle overs 11 to 40 go far in this tournament. It's a bit of a worry, you know with the sort of struggles that Australia's had of late losing wickets in those middle overs. Can you take us inside the conversations to try and resurrect that going forward

[Pat Cummins:]

Yeah, it's no secret that period of the game seems to be the most important in in one day cricket and it's the same for our bowling group we've got to try and find ways to create wickets - it's tough sometimes to force something in the middle if there's a partnership on.

So that's been much the same for the batters. How do we create partnerships? If they're bowling well, how do we shift the pressure back onto their bowlers and try and force their hand to make some changes? But yeah, I think it's a real delicate balance in one-day cricket of not taking huge risks, but it's not like Test cricket where you can wait it out. You have to keep the run rate ticking over.

[Reporter:]

There's always talk about your rivalry with England and India. And I think a lot gets written about it. But just how different is the rivalry with South Africa? You played quite a bit against them, just on the ground and just overall.

[Pat Cummins:]

Yeah, it’s another team that I feel like we play quite a lot against, which creates a bit of rivalry. I also always find with South Africa; we always match up quite similarly. They've always got some fast bowlers and some batters that take the game on, maybe a leg spinner. So, it always feels like it's a clash of two very similar teams. So yeah, no doubt it will be another great game tomorrow.

[Reporter:]

A lot of the guys from 2019 are still here and part of the squad. A lot of them like yourself have become fathers and your family's coming down, some of the families are already here. How different is it in terms of having a different perspective to cricket itself, to life itself, and just walking around the team lobby and the dressing room as compared to, say, four years ago?

[Pat Cummins:]

Yeah, quite different. Everyone's four years older. Even the ones that haven't had kids are now playing their second World Cup. You also throw a couple of T20 World Cups in there in between as well, so it feels a bit more, I guess, settled. Everyone feels like they know what they need to do. I think you're seeing a lot more people come, train, put everything into training, but once they go away, they actually get away from cricket a bit more and spend time with their families. Yeah, so I'd say it feels a bit more well balanced. I don't think the actual cricket side of things has changed that much, but outside of that I think it's in a really good place.

[Reporter:]

This maybe a question for further down the track, but maybe you're also thinking about it tomorrow. How will your rotation of quick bowlers work through the tournament? And even for yourself personally, how do you see yourself rotating around that?

[Pat Cummins:]

Yeah, I mean, the intention is to try and play every game. We won't be rotating bowlers really unless we have to - someone's really fatigued or someone's managing a niggle that needs a bit of a rest - so yeah, the intention is to try and have everyone on the selection table for each game. You pick your best 11. But yeah, it's a World Cup. You can't really take any game lightly. So yeah, probably later on in the tournament, we'll look at that if we need to. But at the moment, yeah, there's no plans.

[Reporter:]

Have you got an update on Travis Head for us? George Bailey mentioned there was another check-in point around the 11th or 12th of October.

[Pat Cummins:]

Yeah, no update. I think it's tomorrow he's getting a scan and seeing the surgeon to get an update. So hopefully next couple of days.

[Reporter:]

About your own one-day bowling, it’s a format that you don't get to play regularly. What has the adjustment been like? I know you played a few this year, but between 2020 and now, you haven't got the chance to do that. And where do you think your one-day bowling is right now?

[Pat Cummins:]

I'm really happy where it is. I feel like it's in as good a place as it ever has been. I think early in my career, I found it a hard balance between Test cricket and T20, like getting too funky. I always find with one day cricket; your roles can be very different. Being an opening bowler with a ball that swings is very different to coming on first change, maybe bowling cross seamers where you're trying to almost defend and get your wickets through pressure. So, it's a different kind of challenge to the other formats, but yeah, I feel in a really good place and I enjoy the challenge of having to almost be prepared for anything in terms of death bowling or just basics or trying to create a wicket out of nothing. So, yeah, pretty happy.

[Reporter:]

There's a lot of talk around one day cricket and the context of it, but what you've mentioned there is that it requires a slightly different approach and skill to Tests or T20s. What kind of unique challenge does it present and do you still feel it's a challenge you're interested in as a bowler to like develop a one-day game side of things?

[Pat Cummins:]

Yeah, I think the biggest challenge is you've got ten overs it's actually quite a physical format I find it probably the most physically taxing if you're playing two or three games in a week. We're doing 15kms in a 50-over match. I think in T20, if you bowl one really good over, that can be match winning. I think in one-day cricket, that's not normally the case. And it's rare that the conditions are really in the bowler's favour, which is fine. It's just a challenge you've got to try and deal with. So yeah, it's tough, but I do enjoy it.

[Reporter:]

[inaudible] How do you take it as captain of the side for two or three times?

What are the challenges?

[Pat Cummins:]

Yeah, I mean, first of all, it's a great legacy, so I feel really lucky to be in that position. But yeah, every World Cup's different. It's a different bunch of boys out there. So yeah, It's great. I enjoy it. We're all in it together, the 15 of us who are obviously desperate to win. So, I feel lucky to be in charge.

[Reporter:]

You are a familiar with this ground. Any change in the spinners against Australia?

[Quinton de Kock:]

We still haven’t looked at the wicket. It's been real late. So, we're still having a chat about what we're going to do about it, but we'll see.

[Reporter:]

Already people are talking about South Africa's top six as the most in-form top six of the tournament. You've played in a lot of top sixes over the years, how does this one feel different if at all and how does the form feel different?

[Quinton de Kock:]

I think we're doing really well as a batting unit; we’ve worked really hard in our game the last couple of years. It's only one game into the World Cup, so it's hard to say how we're really going. Even though we've had it really well our last couple of games, but it hasn't been over a course of years. It's only been a course over a month or a couple of months. So yeah, I think in order for us to be one of the best we need to be, we still need to be a bit more consistent. Especially in tight games like World Cups. And yeah, that will determine actually how good we are.

[Reporter:]

You've just spoken about the top six, but obviously you guys have Markram coming in at seven. There's been a bit of a debate about people wondering if he's a good enough batsman at this stage to bat at number 7 or if he's not better number 8. And JP Duminy has also said you guys have a lot of confidence in him. What's your thoughts on Markram where he's at with his batting at the moment?

[Quinton de Kock:]

I think he's doing really well. For a guy his age, he's got a lot of experience ahead of him in the batting department to help guide him. So, he's doing really well for his, I think he's very talented. He's a big hitter of the ball. Plays spin really well and he's looking to improve every time. So, I think just give him a chance. He's still young so he's not like the rest of us who are all probably above the age of 30. So let him just grow in his ways and in his position I'm sure he'll be a great all-rounder for us one day.

[Reporter:]

Every time you play for South Africa it's a special occasion obviously, but a game against Australia in the World Cup seems to be bigger than most, would you agree, for South Africans?

[Quinton de Kock:]

I think it's just because you're playing against such a strong team. I don't think it's any different from playing Australia to any other team because it's a World Cup. Can't take any games for granted. And because Australians and us have always had a great history, a good competitive background, so yeah, I think that's just what it is. I think both teams are going to come out fighting tomorrow, and whoever makes the right choices under pressure will be the stronger team at the end of the day.

[Reporter:]

Having watched Australia's struggles against the three Indian spinners on Sunday, knowing this surface, having played here once for South Africa and once for Lucknow, do you think you'd be tempted to bring in Shamsi to try and make the most of Australia's struggles to spin in that middle over period?

[Quinton de Kock:]

I think obviously it's been a thought in what the selectors are thinking, but in saying that I've also seen those same guys who struggled in the Australian team also destroy spinners in the IPL and stuff. I think that was a spinning-friendly wicket in Chennai.

I think most other teams could have struggled because obviously the Indians have got really good spin bowling attack. I've played against a lot of these guys, guys like Warner, Smith, Marnus, Maxi, these guys really play spin really well in general.

I think it was just that one game, that's the way I see it. Especially here in Lucknow, I don't know what wicket we're going to get. I have seen how during the IPL and the wickets; we've got different varieties of wickets in play. So, it could come out and it could be a seam-friendly wicket opposed to a spin-friendly wicket. So, I'm pretty sure the thought process of bringing the second spinner is in, but we'll see tomorrow.

[Reporter:]

Just going back to your earlier answer about Australia and South Africa, can you just elaborate a little more about how different the South African rivalry is with Australia, say, compared to your rivalry with England or India or some of these other teams?

[Quinton de Kock:]

I'm not too sure. I think it's just a big rivalry. I think it's just international cricket, it's just the way it is. Both teams are strong teams, both got big egos, both want to win, want to beat each other. So, I think that's what it just comes down to. Whoever comes out, like I said earlier, whoever comes out and makes the best decisions in the most, in the biggest pressure situation will probably be the winner at the end of the day.

[Reporter:]

Just about Australia's bowling attack, I mean, you look at Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc, maybe in Test cricket, they're up there with the best in the world. But just in one-day cricket, how do you judge that bowling attack? Just the three of them, Adam Zampa, Maxwell, they're saying is a specialist spinner and a bunch of all-rounders.

[Reporter:]

I think they're a really good bowling attack. I think they're well balanced. You know, obviously you've got Starc here as a left arm, he swings it a lot up front, bowls really good yorkers towards the end. Got a guy like Hazelwood and Pat Cummins who don't really give you bad balls, got seriously good bouncers. And then you've got obviously Cam Greene now coming in who adds more balance to their seam bowling attack. And he also bowls at 140 plus. Then Maxi, I think a lot of guys underrate him. I think he's a really good offie, especially in the white-ball format. He keeps it very tight. I think teams underestimate him. I think that's why he does really well because I think he knows he's a good spinner. I think other guys don't give him the respect he deserves. But that's what I've seen and watched over the years.

[Reporter:]

How chuffed and emotional were you to actually finally get that elusive World Cup ton in Delhi? And obviously a good start was imperative for all of you guys, but was it almost like a bonus that three of your guys actually start this tournament with hundreds actually behind your name, you know, just in terms of confidence going forward?

[Quinton de Kock:]

Yeah, I think it was big. I think I've been wanting a 100 for a while. Just for my personal self, I think it's been a while. I've got to be getting off to a lot of starts and then obviously not capitalizing and just to get one into my name was again was pretty nice. And the rest of us, I think the rest of the guys have been scoring a lot of big runs anyway. I think just to tick it off in a World Cup and get the campaign started was a big thing for the guys confidence obviously, we know that big pressures. Yeah, and sometimes you come into a tournament and you not quite too sure. Are you going to go? You know, you're trying to find your feet and just to come up and first game, some of the guys found their feet. You know, it was really nice.

[Reporter:]

Since 2016 you guys have played Australia in 20 ODIs and won 15 of them. What do you think you have had such great success against them?

[Quinton de Kock:]

To be honest, I'm not too sure. Not too sure. I think we've just played really good cricket. I've been part of all of those series and to be honest I think just a lot of guys have just stepped up at the right time and we've just been on the right side of it. Honestly not too sure because Australia are a really good cricketing team. They're going to make it really difficult for anybody who plays against them. So yeah, I can't put my thumb on it.

[Reporter:]

Well about it last week or a few days ago, having made that decision to have this tournament be your last, do you think that helped you with that performance against Sri Lanka? Has it freed you up mentally and maybe now everything's a bit of a bonus perhaps?

[Quinton de Kock:]

Not really, I think I'm pretty much the same whether retired or not retired it's just a matter of working on one or two things and just going out there and just getting it done. I don't know it just happened I guess - Just been working on one or two things now in the Australian series and now here in our preparations, yeah, just to get it done out there, I think, just helped.

[Reporter:]

Just to follow from that, you've obviously announced your decision to retire from this format. But what do you think about the future of one-day cricket? Is it still an interesting format to play, or does it have some challenges?

[Quinton de Kock:]

I'm sure a lot of guys love the format. I'm not going to speak on behalf of everyone. For myself, it's been doing it for a couple of years now, so I find it quite tiring. It's been a long time for myself, but I'm sure there's still a lot of guys, a lot of youngsters coming through the ranks, guys still at school growing up, they still would love to play this format and I highly recommend that they find a way to keep it going because there's a lot of guys with big ambitions who want this format to carry on going which I think they need to find a place and a time for it to happen.

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