The Evolution of Pat Cummins: Becoming an All-Rounder

Since his professional debut with Australia in November 2011, Pat Cummins has continuously taken his game to new, world-class levels. Although the six-foot-four, Westmead-born cricketer is a fast bowler at heart, his progression over the last few years have led to many highlighting his potential to operate as a natural all-rounder. Given that he's already one of the sport's most feared bowlers, becoming a reliable batsman would further raise his stock. So, let's take a look at how plausible such claims are.

Adding Another String to his Bow

At the time of writing, and according to data from ESPN Cricinfo, Cummins' highest batting average comes in first-class cricket with a figure of 20.98. For a bowler, his current returns in both test and T20 cricket are also impressive, coming in at 17.02 and 17.26, respectively. However, the ongoing Indian Premier League competition in the United Arab Emirates has been the platform for the 27-year-old to showcase his batting talents to the world.

In this year's IPL, Cummins has twice surpassed his batting average in T20 cricket. In both matches against Rohit Sharma's Mumbai Indians, the Australian recorded scores of 33 and 53. While his lower knock came off 12 deliveries, his maiden half-century in 20-over cricket included five fours and two sixes, as per The Hindu.

Although the Kolkata Knight Riders lost the clash by eight wickets, the outing was a testament to the progress of Cummins' ability at the crease. Following his impressive scoring prowess, Eoin Morgan, KKR's newly-appointed captain, stated that his side now view the 27-year-old Australian as an all-rounder. As of October 22nd, KKR are 12/1 with cricket betting to win the IPL and, if they are to challenge in the competition's later stages, they will need Cummins to sustain his scoring form.

The Potential to Become One of Cricket's Most Feared Players

Within the current era of professional cricket, all-rounders are arguably at the peak of their powers. Regarding the ICC test rankings for the versatile role, Jason Holder currently leads the way with a rating of 447, one ahead of England's Ben Stokes. In relation to Cummins, he sits eighth on the list with a score of 266.

However, first and foremost, the 27-year-old is a top-level bowler. While he may be adding more variation to his all-round game, Cummins' pinpoint deliveries are the reason that he became the most expensive overseas purchase in IPL history back in December 2019.

To date, the Westmead-born cricketer has taken 100 wickets in 91 T20 matches, according to his profile at ESPN Cricinfo. Given that he's averaging more than one wicket each game, the addition of crucial run-scoring contributions sees him become an even more dangerous player across all formats. Should he maintain his new-found batting talent, then he could easily climb the rankings in establishing himself as one of the world's best all-rounders.

Versatility is Essential in Cricket

Because of the unpredictability of the sport, the need for lower-order batsman to be competent at the crease is arguably more important than ever before, particularly when you consider the pace of modern-day bowlers. Not only for KKR but also for the Australian national team, if Cummins can deliver consistent totals that surpass his current average, then he'll solidify his status as a high-level all-rounder.