Australia captain Cummins eyes ODIs as build-up to blockbuster South Africa series

The next assignment for Australia after drawing a two-Test series against Bangladesh is three ODIs in Zimbabwe and another three in South Africa in late September. Updated: Aug 24, 2026. Pat Cummins is the Australian captain in both Tests and ODIs. Cummins said he “can’t wait” to play in Australia’s first Test series in South Africa since the infamous “Sandpapergate” affair and intends to use one-day games beforehand to prepare. The series in South Africa will be Australia’s first in the country since a 2018 ball-tampering scandal, where Steve Smith was banned for a year and sacked as captain after conspiring to alter the ball using sandpaper. 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. He highlighted the varied pitches in Durban, Gqeberha, and Cape Town, emphasizing the challenge of playing Test cricket in different conditions. Cummins, who remains Australia’s official ODI captain, has played just two of 28 possible matches in the format since the 2023 World Cup. Fellow quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are also prioritizing Tests over limited-overs cricket. Cummins indicated he could miss the Zimbabwe leg but would play some of the South Africa white-ball games. He mentioned that the focus is on the Test series, with a maximum of three white-ball games out of six. Opener Matt Renshaw is likely to hold his place, while the role of Marnus Labuschagne remains uncertain after his recent poor performance.