Ian Chappell on why Pat Cummins is cut out for captaincy and Joe Root isn’t 

Ian Chappell believes while Australia’s Pat Cummins has all the qualities of a good leader, his England counterpart Joe Root lacks imagination.

Cummins and Root are leading their respective sides in the ongoing Ashes. Australia are 1-0 in the five-match series, having won the Gabba Test by nine wickets. With two days to go in the pink-ball Test, Australia again find themselves in a commanding position. But Cummins was ruled out after coming in contact with a COVID-19 positive case.

In his latest column for ESPN Cricinfo, Chappell compared the captaincy styles of Cummins and Root. Describing Cummins as the most inspirational player in the Australian side, the former Australian captain wrote:

“Cummins acquired the appropriate nickname Postman Pat before he was appointed captain. He is accorded this handle because he regularly delivers, often providing Australia with a wicket when it's needed. There is a lot to like about Cummins' appointment, and he certainly delivered in his first captaincy Test with a five-wicket innings haul at the Gabba.”

Admitting that there will be days when things will not go right for him, the Aussie legend backed Cummins to learn from his mistakes. Chappell added:

“Cummins will improve as a captain because that is what good leaders do: they learn from their mistakes and try to avoid making them in the future. The one question Cummins can't answer is how many Tests he'll miss through injury or Covid regulations. His second-Test hiccup is one he will prefer to have avoided, but having to miss games is something you have to deal with.”

The Australian pacer was forced to sit out of the Adelaide Test after coming in close contact with a positive COVID-19 case at the restaurant in Adelaide where he was out for dinner.

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“Root is an excellent batter but a poor captain” - Ian Chappell

Shifting focus to the England skipper, Chappell minced no words while describing him as a "poor captain". According to the 78-year-old, Root lacks the charisma to inspire a team. Chappell opined:

“Root is an excellent batter but a poor captain. It would not be unfair to describe him as an ordinary and unlucky captain. Rarely do you find a long-term captain who is lacking in imagination but is also lucky. A fortunate captain is usually lucky because the players believe he is some kind of miracle-worker and things tend to work out because of the team's belief.”

The Aussie legend also questioned Root’s decision-making skills. Pointing out to Jos Buttler’ poor keeping in Adelaide, Chappell said:

“England selectors' tolerance of mediocrity was also on view when Jos Buttler, who is far from their best keeper, was again chosen and made yet more inexcusable blunders. No amount of blustering bluff at press conferences can cover up for the selection mistakes that have been made by England. It's not that Root's team dislike him - on the contrary - it's just that he has taken so many poor decisions, they must be thinking, "Oh no, not again."

Meanwhile, Australia resumed their second innings on Day 4 of the Adelaide Test. They lost Marcus Harris (23) and Michael Neser (2) early, dismissed by Stuart Broad and James Anderson respectively. Australia ended Day 3 at 45 for 1, with an impressive lead of 282.