With Pat Cummins likely to be unavailable for KKR in the second half of IPL 2021, former Indian cricketers Aakash Chopra said that his absence will not be a big factor for the two-time IPL champions. The Australian pacer has confirmed his unavailability for the second half of the season. He along with David Warner will remain absent for their respective franchises when the season resumes in the UAE.
In his Youtube channel, Aakash Chopra has spoken about the absence of Pat Cummins not being a big factor for the KKR side. Chopra said that the presence of Lockie Ferguson in the side covers up for Cummins’ absence.
“KKR already have Lockie Ferguson. And in my opinion, if you have to pick one of them just as a T20 bowler, I will pick Lockie Ferguson ahead of him (Cummins). If Lockie is available and plays, it is absolutely fine. I don’t think they are going to miss Pat Cummins the bowler,” said Chopra.
Aakash Chopra further criticised Pat Cummins’ contribution for KKR in the last two seasons. He said that Cummins has not been effective as a bowler and has not picked the number of wickets that he should have.
Pat Cummins Has Not Been Great As a Bowler: Aakash Chopra
“His (Cummins’) performance has not been great as a bowler. If we talk about last year, he took just 12 wickets in 14 matches, and that was in the UAE, where the remaining matches will be played. The economy was okay, less than eight. This year also, he took only nine wickets in seven matches, and he was more expensive as well, almost nine runs per over,” observed Chopra.
The reason behind Pat Cummins’ absence is still not clear but it is thought to be a way of taking care of the workload of the players and giving them enough rest when possible.
Australia have a couple of limited-overs lined up against West Indies and Bangladesh leading to the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled to take place later this year in India.
Also Read: IPL 2021 To Resume From September 17, Final On October 10: Reports