Pat Cummins calls captaincy idea "ridiculous"

Australia pacer Pat Cummins on Tuesday rubbished the suggestion that he will become the Test captain in future, calling the idea "ridiculous".

"I think it is pretty ridiculous at the moment. We have obviously got 'Painey' (Tim Paine) at the moment who is doing a brilliant job and I think it is his for a long time now," Cricket Australia quoted Cummins, as saying.

"I feel like I am too busy in the game bowling and when I am batting putting all my effort into that. And when I am not doing it I am usually off with the fairies trying to recover. So, I don't think I would make a very good captain at the moment," he added.

The 25-year-old, who rose to number three on the ICC Test bowling rankings, claimed a terrific six-wicket haul in India's second innings and scored 63 off 114 balls in Australia's second innings at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. In spite of his heroic efforts, the hosts fell to a 137-run defeat to go 2-1 down in the ongoing four-Test series.

Cummins, however, also said that a fast bowler could become captain despite the workload. "I think someone like Josh Hazlewood at the moment has an enhanced role as vice-captain, he is always thinking about the game when he is out there fielding," he said.

"When he is batting in the sheds he is always watching and thinking things through. Maybe it is different personalities, but I see no reason why a bowler can't be a captain," Cummins concluded.

The last bowler to lead Australia in Test format was leg-spinner Richie Benaud who captained 28 Tests from 1958-63.