Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Sport
Steve Larkin

Cummins hails caretaker coach McDonald

Australian captain Pat Cummins (R) has hailed the influence of caretaker coach Andrew McDonald (L). (AAP)

Pat Cummins says it's not his job to pick Australian cricket's next coach but is offering a ringing endorsement to caretaker Andrew McDonald.

McDonald took the head coaching role for the Pakistan tour after Justin Langer's messy post-Ashes departure.

And Cummins says McDonald's influence on Australia's 1-0 series win in Pakistan can't be undersold.

"He's fantastic," Cummins said after Australia's 115-run win in the third Test in Lahore on Friday sealed the series victory.

"Very diligent, very thorough, strategic, very organised.

"He's a huge part of this tour win ... and all the support staff. It's not just the players that walk out, we have got a squad of 30-odd people working so hard.

"He (McDonald) has been an important part.

"It's not my place to appoint the coach, but he has been fantastic."

After Langer quit, Cummins stated: "We need a new style of coaching and skillset."

And he also flat-batted accusations from retired pace ace Mitchell Johnson, who described Cummins as "gutless" and accused him of having an "agenda to get in a coach he wants".

Cricket Australia has started canvassing potential candidates to take the head coaching role full-time, with McDonald considered the favourite.

Whoever gets the gig will take over an Australian Test team brimming with confidence after their Pakistan success.

Cummins' next captaincy assignment is a two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in June and July before a four-Test tour of India starting in September.

"The amount of confidence we will get out of winning over here, not just as a team but so many individuals ... being able to stand up to Asian conditions, it's huge for the Sri Lanka tour later in the year," Cummins said.

"It's probably not as much spinny conditions here as what we'll get in Sri Lanka.

"But I think the last Asian tours that I have been on, there's a lot of talk in Australia that we have got to change our games to suit over here.

"This is a good lesson that the basics of batting and bowling that we play in Australia can hold up over here. If anything, it reaffirms that our game can hold up."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.