'Great Players Stand up When It’s Time to Deliver': David Warner Lauds Pat Cummins After World Cup Triumph

Veteran opener David Warner lauded his skipper Pat Cummins for his leadership and a brilliant spell in the World Cup Final against India at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Cummins led the Australian team to their record-extending sixth World Cup final as they completely outclassed the hosts in the all-important clash in front of 90 thousand fans.

Cummins led the team from the front and picked crucial wickets of in-form Indian batters Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer as the Men in Blue were bundled out for just 240 at the biggest clash.

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In a chat with Proteas legend AB de Villiers on his YouTube channel, Warner talked about Cummins’ leadership and brilliant bowling when it mattered the most in the final.

“Yesterday was a testament to the way we went about it. As a captain, to be brave and make a decision was phenomenal. Yesterday, the way he bowled was unbelievable. That was his best spell in the whole tournament. Great players stand up when it’s time to deliver and yesterday, he truly did that,” Warner told De Villiers.

The swashbuckling opener further said that Cummins was criticised in England during the Ashes and at the start of World Cup for his defensive captaincy and said it was not fair.

“He has been so calm the whole time. He was criticised in England for his field placements, which were defensive and all that. He copped it again when we got off to a slow start. It’s not fair. The captain is leading the ship, but as a whole unit, we take responsibility ourselves,” he said.

David Warner withdrew on Tuesday from Australia’s squad for the Twenty20 series in India following his exploits in their victorious ODI World Cup campaign.

The two countries meet again in a five-match T20 series starting on Thursday in Visakhapatnam, but the 37-year-old Warner will not stay on after all.

His withdrawal means just seven of Australia’s World Cup-winning one-day squad will remain in India for the series, among them Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith.