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:

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?

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?

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?

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.

Paceline Podcast 419