ICC World Cup 2023: Is World Cup 'physically taxing' for bowlers? Pat Cummins thinks so

Pat Cummins (Pic: AFP)

Australian skipper Pat Cummins labelled the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 as the most 'physically taxing' format for pacers as batsmen keep piling up record scores.

With only eight matches played so far, the 50-over cricket showpiece has already seen South Africa amass the highest-ever World Cup total of 428. That came against Sri Lanka in New Delhi where the two innings produced a tournament record 754 runs.

Aiden Markram clubbed the fastest World Cup century in 49 balls in that game while, on Tuesday, Pakistan chased down a record target of 345 to beat Sri Lanka. In a further bout of misery for bowlers, 10 centuries have been scored over the first eight games.

"It's actually quite a physical format, I find it probably the most physically taxing if you're playing two or three games in a week," said Cummins ahead of their second World Cup match against South Africa on Thursday. "We're doing 15kms in a 50-over match. I think in T20, if you bowl one really good over, that can be match-winning. "In one-day cricket, that's not normally the case. And it's rare that the conditions are really in the bowler's favour, which is fine. It's just a challenge you've got to try and deal with."

Sri Lankan bowlers have supplied a snapshot of the challenge as described by Cummins. In their loss to South Africa, seamers Kasun Rajitha and Matheesha Pathirana conceded 185 runs between them. Pathirana suffered again as Pakistan ran riot in Hyderabad on Tuesday, giving away another 90 runs in his 10 overs.

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Five-time champions Australia suffered a six-wicket loss to India in their tournament opener, ironically in a rare low-scoring encounter at Chennai. After bowling the Aussies out for just 199, India reached their target inside 42 overs with Virat Kohli surviving a dropped chance on 12 to make a match-winning 85. Cummins went wicketless in that match and managed to claim just two wickets in two ODIs Australia played against India in the run-up to the tournament.

"I'm really happy where it is," he said of his form in ODI cricket where he has 126 wickets at an average of just over 28. "I feel like it's in as good a place as it ever has been. I think early in my career, I found it a hard balance between Test cricket and T20, like getting too funky. "I always find with one-day cricket; your roles can be very different. It's a different kind of challenge to the other formats." Cummins said his team will be ready for familiar foes South Africa. The Proteas won a recent series between the two teams 3-2 after trailing 0-2. "It always feels like it's a clash of two very similar teams," said Cummins.

(With inputs from agencies)