Cummins eyes ODI return

Skipper Pat Cummins said he "can't wait" to play in Australia's first Test series in South Africa since the infamous "Sandpapergate" affair and he intends to use one-day games beforehand to prepare.  The next assignment for Australia after drawing a two-Test series against Bangladesh are three ODIs in Zimbabwe and another three in South Africa in late September. They then play Tests in Durban, Gqeberha and Cape Town in October. Cummins indicated he could miss the Zimbabwe leg, but would make himself available for some of the South Africa white-ball games. It is likely to be a similar scenario for fellow quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. "I'm not sure I should say this, but I think the focus is on the Test series," said Cummins after their innings and 51-run thrashing of Bangladesh in Mackay on Sunday. "So a lot of the white-ball (series), and how we play that, would be with an eye to the red ball. "So I'd imagine it'd be one, two, probably a maximum of three games out of those six." 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. Hazlewood told reporters in Mackay he too expected to play some of the 50-over series while Starc said he would "do what he's told". All three have prioritised Tests over limited-overs cricket in recent years. The Tests in South Africa will be Australia's first in the country since a 2018 ball-tampering scandal rocked the sport. Steve Smith 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 David Warner was suspended for 12 months. 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. "We had a big series against them a couple of years ago in Australia (in 2022-23) and we probably exceeded expectations and played really well," said Cummins of their 2-0 series win. "They got us back at Lord's last year and outplayed us. So it's going to be big in their home conditions and places we have haven't played for quite a while. "Even the difference between Durban to, say, Cape Town can be quite different styles of pitches. "That's why I love playing Test cricket. It's all different conditions, different opponents, different parts of the world. Can't wait." Only Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Smith, Nathan Lyon, and Matt Renshaw have played Test cricket in South Africa. Opener Renshaw is likely to hold his place despite a tepid return in Mackay after three years away, with the big question whether Marnus Labuschagne should be on the plane. The number three made just 36 runs in three knocks against Bangladesh and has not scored a century since 2023. "I did say a couple of days ago -– and I think it still stands -– that he's been batting fantastically well off the field," said Cummins. "But it doesn't mean much. You've got to convert that into runs out there."