We’ve finally discovered something Pat Cummins can’t do.
The Australian Test captain and his counterpart Meg Lanning introduced the TV coverage of the Australian Cricket Awards on Monday night, but everything didn’t quite go to plan.
Cummins and Lanning were recapping the cricketing year that was and having a light hearted back-and-forth exchange, before handing over hosting duties to Mel McLaughlin and Jason Richardson.
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The only problem was the two captains were reading off an autocue, something they were clearly not very confident with.
Cummins stumbled over his lines a few times and shamelessly broke the fourth wall, confessing that he and Lanning were reading pre-written prepared scripts.
After Lanning complimented him on the men’s team’s successful year, Cummins replied: “And speaking of achievements, you guys won another World Cup and claimed Australia’s first ever gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in cricket.”
“We wrote these scripts ourselves,” he joked, breaking into laughter.
Lanning continued: “Talking of statues, do you think we’ll ever see Scotty Boland’s statue at the MCG?”
Cummins: “I hope so. I’d vote for that. I know all the MCG crowd wants to see that. Sorry Uzzie, there is one people’s champ.”
But it got even more cringeworthy when Lanning missed her next cue and the pair awkwardly stared into dead silence for 10 seconds, glancing at each other with confused looks while the audience in Sydney burst into laughter.
Lanning finally broke the awkward silence: “Is it my turn? It’s actually my turn to speak.
“Just really good luck to everyone tonight, hope it’s a great evening and hope you have fun.”
Cummins added: “Far too much of us. Let’s get the night started. Thank you.”
Viewers joked the agonising moment was proof Cummins is human after all.
AAP’s Scott Bailey tweeted: “Is it possible that after 30 years, the world has discovered something Pat Cummins can’t do?
“Read off an autocue. (Don’t blame him, it’s bloody hard).”
Sports writer and broadcaster Brett McKay joked: “Haha, as MCs they both make bloody good Australian captains…”
The recent second season of the ‘The Test’ documentary also revealed Cummins also struggles playing the video game Call of Duty.
As for the cricket awards themselves, Steve Smith won a record-equalling fourth Allan Border Medal as Australia’s best player across all formats last year, while Beth Mooney took out the Belinda Clark Medal.
Smith joins legends Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke as the only men to win the award four times, with Smith also claiming men’s cricket’s highest honour in 2015, 2018 and 2021.
The former Test skipper polled 171 votes, finishing in front of Travis Head (144) and David Warner (141), who both enjoyed terrific years with the bat.
It’s the latest in a long line of achievements for Smith, who recently moved past Sir Donald Bradman with his 30th Test century and now only trails Ponting and Steve Waugh in terms of Australian centurions.
Smith scored 1547 runs in 32 matches across all three formats, headlined by a stunning 200 not out against the West Indies in the first Test innings of the home summer in Perth.
Mooney had an equally stunning season, claiming her second Belinda Clark Medal.
It was a bumper year for Mooney and the Australian women’s cricket team as they clinched the Ashes in January, won the 50-over World Cup and claimed the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Mooney finished on 129 votes ahead of Meg Lanning (110 votes) and Tahlia McGrath (95) in one of her most dominant years on the field.
Usman Khawaja was the other big winner of the night, taking out the Community Champion award and the inaugural Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year gong.
— With NCA NewsWire
