"Cummins has tried to make the team more likeable" - Nasser Hussain hails the Australian skipper ahead of the final Ashes Test

Former England captain Nasser Hussain praised Australian skipper Pat Cummins for continuing to enhance the team's culture after the 2018 Sandpaper saga and the fallout with previous head coach Justin Langer.

While Tim Paine played a vital role in restoring Australian cricket since taking over the captaincy duties post the sandpaper incident in South Africa, Cummins has continued on the same path with tremendous success on the results front.

The 30-year-old was appointed as captain ahead of the 2021/22 Ashes series and has led Australia to 11 wins in 20 Tests.

In his column for the Daily Mail, Hussain spoke highly of Cummins as captain, aside from the Jonny Bairstow stumping controversy at Lord's.

"For Pat Cummins, it has been partly about continuing to improve the image of Australia after Sandpaper Gate, and doing so with a new coach after the fallout from Justin Langer’s time in charge. Cummins has tried to make the team more likeable. In general, he has succeeded, even if not everyone was happy about Alex Carey’s stumping of Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s," said Hussain.

Furthermore, the former English skipper turned commentator praised Cummins for continuing the side's excellence on the field.

"But Cummins also had to maintain Australia’s very good record, and you cannot argue with his team’s results. You do not reach the final of the World Test Championship without playing good cricket for the previous two years, and Australia then beat India to lift the trophy," added Hussain.

Under Cummins, Australia finished atop the points table for the 2021-23 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. They followed that by defeating India in the summit clash last month to be crowned World Test champions.

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"Cummins has now retained the Ashes" - Nasser Hussain

Pat Cummins ensured the Ashes urn stayed with Australia.

Nasser Hussain further hailed Pat Cummins for retaining the Ashes and doing so as an out-and-out fast bowler, playing his sixth Test on the bounce in England.

The 30-year-old led Australia to the WTC crown at the start of the English summer and followed it up by leading the Aussies in retaining the Ashes urn with one Test to go.

"Cummins has now retained the Ashes and is a victory or a draw away from becoming the first Aussie captain to win a series in England for 22 years. He has done all this as a fast bowler, which is not easy physically or mentally. Cummins is about to play his sixth Test in eight weeks — that is immense," said Hussain.

Despite the heavy workload, Cummins is the second leading wicket-taker in the series, with 16 scalps in four Tests.

Although Hussain feels that Australia may have overdone the short stuff in the previous game at Manchester, he maintained that leading 2-1 after losing all the tosses is a feather in Cummins' cap.

"He may well have overdone the short ball in Manchester, especially when Bairstow and Jimmy Anderson added 66 runs for the last wicket, but that is a nitpick. Having lost all four tosses and generally suffered the worst of the conditions, to be 2-1 up suggests he has done a very good job," concluded Hussain.

Cummins looked a tad jaded in the previous game, conceding runs at more than 5.50 to the over with just the lone wicket in his 23 overs. However, he has the opportunity to become the first Australian captain since Steve Waugh in 2001 to win a Test series in England.