Cummins to make rare ODI appearances ahead of South Africa Test tour

[p]The next assignment for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/OxG0JfXg/"]Australia[/a] after drawing a two-Test series against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bangladesh/2of97jms/"]Bangladesh[/a] are three ODIs in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/zimbabwe/pCUnmKBm/"]Zimbabwe[/a] and another three in South Africa in late September.[/p][p]They then play Tests in Durban, Gqeberha and Cape Town in October.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cummins-patrick/nXoaKQUf/"]Cummins[/a] indicated he could miss the Zimbabwe leg, but would make himself available for some of the South Africa white-ball games.[/p][p]It is likely to be a similar scenario for fellow quicks [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/starc-mitchell/CQX4De2l/"]Mitchell Starc[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hazlewood-josh/zkKrMn0r/"]Josh Hazlewood[/a].[/p][p]"[b]I'm not sure I should say this, but I think the focus is on the Test series[/b]," said Cummins after their innings and 51-run thrashing of Bangladesh in Mackay on Sunday.[/p][p]"So a lot of the white-ball (series), and how we play that, would be with an eye to the red ball.[/p][p]"[b]So I'd imagine it'd be one, two, probably a maximum of three games out of those six.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="1af478e9-56ee-4bba-b93a-17928e99cf7b" url="https://x.com/cricketcomau/status/2091397911187775528" social-type="twitter" /][p]Cummins, who remains Australia's official ODI captain, has played just two from a possible 28 matches in the format since the 2023 World Cup.[/p][p]Hazlewood told reporters in Mackay he too expected to play some of the 50-over series while Starc said he would "[b]do what he's told[/b]".[/p][p]All three have prioritised Tests over limited-overs cricket in recent years.[/p][p]The Tests in South Africa will be Australia's first in the country since a 2018 ball-tampering scandal rocked the sport.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smith-steven/hty17mok/"]Steve Smith[/a] was banned for a year and sacked as captain after conspiring to alter the ball using sandpaper during the third Test in Cape Town, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/warner-david/vBpPglWe/"]David Warner[/a] was suspended for 12 months.[/p][embed guid="30f06a41-dd36-4c6d-8d36-cfa7f1656ebb" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKcvHAec6GM" social-type="youtube" /][p]Cummins called the series "big" with revenge on his mind after Australia lost the World Test Championship final to the Proteas at Lord's last year.[/p][p]"[b]We had a big series against them a couple of years ago in Australia[/b] (in 2022-23) [b]and we probably exceeded expectations and played really well,[/b]" said Cummins of their 2-0 series win.[/p][p]"They got us back at Lord's last year and outplayed us.[/p][p]"[b]So it's going to be big in their home conditions and places we have haven't played for quite a while.[/b][/p][p]"Even the difference between Durban to, say, Cape Town can be quite different styles of pitches.[/p][p]"[b]That's why I love playing Test cricket. It's all different conditions, different opponents, different parts of the world. Can't wait.[/b]"[/p][p]Only Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Smith, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lyon-nathan/baw6Lrll/"]Nathan Lyon[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/renshaw-matt/2ZSJwHw6/"]Matt Renshaw[/a] have played Test cricket in South Africa.[/p][p]Opener Renshaw is likely to hold his place despite a tepid return in Mackay after three years away, with the big question whether [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/labuschagne-marnus/0QSnItBN/"]Marnus Labuschagne[/a] should be on the plane.[/p][p]The number three made just 36 runs in three knocks against Bangladesh and has not scored a century since 2023.[/p][p]"[b]I did say a couple of days ago -– and I think it still stands -– that he's been batting fantastically well off the field,[/b]" said Cummins. "[b]But it doesn't mean much. You've got to convert that into runs out there.[/b]"[/p]