Pat Cummins dropped, Australia vs Sri Lanka, start time, team news, Michael Clarke\u060c<\/p>\n
Michael Clarke dropped a bombshell on Monday morning, claiming he had heard captain Pat Cummins was to be sacked ahead of Australia’s World Cup match against Sri Lanka. <\/p>\n
Clarke, who was critical of the decision to get rid of Alex Carey before the defeat to South Africa, made the astonishing claim while speaking on Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast show.<\/p>\n
MATCH CENTER: Australia vs Sri Lanka, World Cup Scoreboard<\/b><\/p>\n Afghanistan surprises World Championships defense | 02:59<\/p>\n \u201cI heard last night that Pat Cummins won\u2019t be selected for this game,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe dropped our wicketkeeper… who is one of the most important people in your team. So he got a match and was dropped. Now they say we are going to let our captain down. <\/p>\n “So in two games our two most important players on a touring team are going to be left out. You don’t know your best XI before you get to a World Cup? <\/p>\n \u201cIf Alex Carey only gets one match, he shouldn’t be in India. They shouldn’t have taken it. If Pat Cummins<\/a> is going to be sidelined and not captain the team, then you have picked the wrong captain.<\/p>\n Clarke also took aim at Australia earlier in the week<\/a> for their “horrendous” preparation ahead of the World Cup, something he doubled down on ahead of the South Africa match.<\/p>\n \u201cI heard the players say that our preparation was perfect. No, no, you\u2019ve played enough cricket, but you haven\u2019t used these games,\u201d Clarke said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou haven\u2019t picked your best players. You didn’t understand if we were going to bat first, field first. You didn’t decide who was playing where, you didn’t even choose your captain and let him lead some games of cricket. So come the World Cup semi-final [or] grand finale, he knows exactly what he does under pressure. <\/p>\n \u201cPat Cummins doesn\u2019t direct enough games. He is in India, able to play but they rested him for one match.<\/p>\n Cummins spoke to the media on Sunday, admitting the five-time champions needed to \u201cstart winning and start winning quickly\u201d to salvage their faltering World Cup campaign.<\/p>\n Australia lost their two opening matches, by six wickets against hosts India and by 134 runs against South Africa, their heaviest defeat in a World Cup.<\/p>\n Although they have the firepower of David Warner<\/a> and Steve Smith, they have yet to post a total of 200.<\/p>\n Poms in dire straits after EPIC upset | 02:42<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re obviously 0-2, so we need to start winning and start winning quickly,\u201d Cummins said ahead of Monday’s clash against Sri Lanka in Lucknow.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery match now becomes almost like a final. You have to win<\/a> almost all of them. <\/p>\n The numbers so far are bleak for Australia.<\/p>\n None of their batsmen made a half-century with Smith leading the way with 46 against India and Marnus Labuschagne equaling that modest mark in the rout of South Africa.<\/p>\n They were also hamstrung by their performance on the field. Against India, Virat Kohli<\/a> was dropped at 12th over before making a match-winning 85.<\/p>\n Had the catch been successful, India, chasing just 200 to win, would have hovered at 20-4.<\/p>\n The situation got worse against South Africa where five chances were missed. Needing 312 to win, Australia collapsed to 70-6 and were reduced to a damage limitation exercise in a bid to shore up their run rate.<\/p>\n