Pat Cummins downplays Michael Clarke's reason for Australians not sledging Virat Kohli

Australia's Vice-Captain Pat Cummins responded to former Australian skipper Michael Clarke's remarks on India's tour to Australia in 2018-19. Cummins stated that the reason behind Australians being less aggressive was not IPL contracts but the repercussions of the ball-tampering incident earlier in South Africa. Clarke had earlier alleged that Australians were scared of sledging Virat Kohli out of the fear of losing out on lucrative deals. 

Speaking to a news daily, Cummins stated that probably a bigger factor was six months before leading into that Indian series, the media and everyone commentating on the Aussies. He added that everyone was pretty clear in their direction and wanted the Kangaroos to go a bit less aggressive on the field. 

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Tim Paine downplays Clarke's comments

Australian Test captain Tim Paine also downplayed the claims made by Michael Clarke. In a recent interview, Tim Paine said that every Australian who has a ball or a bat in hand tries their best to win matches for Australia. He also stated that he is not sure if someone went easy on the Indian captain at any point.

READ | IPL Deals Main Reason Behind Australia Not Sledging Virat Kohli Post-2015: Michael Clarke

Pat Cummins willing to play IPL behind closed doors

26-year-old Cummins, who became the costliest foreign player in the league after the Kolkata Knight Riders picked him up for a whopping Rs 15.5 crore last December at the auction, said that he is "super hopeful" the league will be held though he would be "surprised if it happened soon". "They scream every single ball whether it's a six or a wicket - it's the same noise every ball - so that atmosphere is something that we love about playing in India," he said. Cummins added, "It will be missed in the short term if it can't happen, but I have no doubt it will be a great event even if it has to be played without crowds." 

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