Introduction

This week we welcome Pat Cummins, captain of the Australia Test and One-Day team. Pat is about to lead newly crowned World Test Champions Australia into a hotly anticipated Ashes series against England, his first as captain. 

In today’s episode with Pat, we discuss: 

1. The responsibilities of a captain:

• How Pat became Australia captain and the key principles he sought to imprint on the team.

• The importance of building a culture that is inclusive and fair while ensuring the highest standards are maintained.

• Pat’s philosophy on leadership and how it differs from previous regimes.

• What does Pat do to balance his relationship with the players and management to ensure the responsibilities never come into conflict?

2. Managing the personal and the professional:

• ‘We play over 100 days of the year for Australia’. How does Pat balance family life with professional commitments?

• How to manage the highs and lows of professional sport and the importance of forming strong relationships in a team environment.

• The importance of routine and consistency when not on the pitch; find the habits that work and repeat them.

• How does Pat deal with pressure? How does he handle the increased scrutiny that comes with being captain?

3. The emergence of franchise cricket:

• The rise of T20 cricket and the demand that places on the schedules of players.

• The financial opportunities franchise leagues like the IPL offer and how that has changed the sport.

• ‘We want our best players playing for Australia as much as we can’. How does international cricket compete against franchise leagues?

• What is Pat’s decision-making process when choosing which tournaments to play?

4. Interests outside of cricket and exploring the investment world:

• How important is it for Pat to have passions away from cricket?

• Pat’s experience as an angel investor and the transferable skills of professional athletes.

• Founders want increased brand awareness and content. Pat’s desire to change the expectations placed on athlete investors.

• The opportunity to build more media value and sustainability around longer-form cricket to accompany the success of the short-form game.