Bouncers to be the wicket-taking ball this WC: Cummins

Australian pacer Pat Cummins is not expecting much swing from the English wickets this World Cup, saying the quicks will have to depend on bouncers as the wicket-taking delivery.

"I just looked at some data before that out of all the ODI countries, (England) has got the least swing out of all of them over the past 20 years," Cummins was quoted as saying by www.cricket.com.au.

"Not really (expecting swing). Maybe a couple of overs. When the ball is hard you still feel like there might be a little bit of nip. But it's pretty flat.

"Bouncers we're going to have to use well, that's a real wicket-taking ball. Other than that, it's just trying to bowl good balls."

The Kookaburra balls for ODIs in England will also play a role as they swing less than the English Dukes, feels Cummins who will be opening the bowling for the defending champions alongside Mitchell Starc.

"With the brand-new ball, you still get a little bit (of movement), whether it's a bit of extra bounce or maybe a tiny bit of nip (seam movement)," said Cummins, adding the first few overs of an innings will be crucial for bowlers to make early inroads before conditions become easier for batsmen.

"I don't think you'll see too many teams running through other teams with big outswingers. It's just trying to find a way," the 26-year old said.

Asked about the game being more batsmen friendly now than in the past, Cummins said: "It feels a lot harder.

"I feel like the white ball has swung a lot less than it did... whether it's us bowling or the ball changing or the conditions.

"It feels like when a batsman gets on a roll, it's a lot harder to contain them. You see a lot of players (are) a lot more confident taking the game on quite early, which brings some challenges for us bowlers."

Australia will open their World Cup campaign against Afghanistan on June 1.

--IANS

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