Pat Cummins

When Pat Cummins burst onto the scene as a raw 18-year-old in 2011, taking seven wickets and the match award on Test debut in Johannesburg, his pace was unmistakable, yet repeated back stress fractures kept him out of Test cricket for more than five years. By his mid-20s he had transformed into a relentless spearhead, his body hardened by careful management, leading Australia's attack with metronomic accuracy and a snarling short-ball game.

Cummins revels in the biggest stages. He has tormented India with his unerring line and length on flat decks, claimed stacks of Ashes wickets, and in 2019 became the world's top-ranked Test bowler. Named Test captain in late 2021 after Tim Paine's resignation, he led Australia to an Ashes win that summer, a first Test series victory in Pakistan in 24 years, the 2023 World Test Championship final win over India, and, most improbably, the 2023 ODI World Cup, beating hosts India in the final in Ahmedabad after choosing to bowl first.

A workhorse, but a cerebral one, Cummins never relies on raw pace alone. He reads batters like chess moves, sets traps with patience, and sums up conditions in a flash. Off the field he is a prominent voice on climate issues in sport and a sought-after franchise player, captaining Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. He is that rare bowler who wins matches with both the ball and his tactical nous.