Adam Zampa refuted Michael Clarke’s claims regarding Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, losing his place midway through the World Cup.
Pat Cummins was undoubtedly under significant pressure before the match against Sri Lanka, although neither he nor the Australian players would publicly admit it. Australia had experienced one of their worst-ever starts in World Cup history, losing two consecutive matches to India and South Africa. The five-time champions had failed to perform in these crucial fixtures, unable to even reach the 200-run mark, a standard for top teams in the tournament. Despite these struggles, Cummins’ position as captain or his place in the starting eleven was never in doubt. Michael Clarke’s comments suggesting Cummins might be dropped for the Sri Lanka match surprised many.
In reality, Cummins not only captained the team against Sri Lanka but also played a crucial role in helping Australia secure their first victory in the 2023 World Cup, defeating Sri Lanka by five wickets in Lucknow.
Adam Zampa, who was named the Player of the Match after taking 4/47 to dismantle Sri Lanka’s middle-order, was asked about the rumors surrounding Cummins’ position. Zampa dismissed these claims, asserting that the team fully supports their captain and doesn’t pay attention to external comments or reports.
“We all back each other 100% in this team, so I don’t really know what’s been said or what people are reading, but the only thing that I saw come on the WhatsApp group was the same 11 as last game. So yeah, there’s no pressure on Pat there. As I said, we’ve got a really good feeling in the group in terms of backing each other, looking after each other. So yeah, I don’t know who said that,” Zampa told reporters following Australia’s victory.
He went on to describe Cummins’ performance as a game-changing moment in the match. Cummins played a vital role in breaking Sri Lanka’s opening partnership, which had reached 125 runs without any loss. This moment, along with Cummins’ energy in the field, notably the run-out after a rain break, significantly impacted the match’s momentum. This eventually led to a change in the energy of the group, and Australia achieved a convincing win, bowling out Sri Lanka for 209 and successfully chasing the target in 35.2 overs, with Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis contributing impressive half-centuries.
