Review: Tested by Pat Cummins

Picture Source: Lakshit Singhal/cricketfieldchronicles

Pat Cummins is inarguably the most dynamic leader in world cricket right now. He is sharp, reads and understands the game well and is a master in executing the game plans.

Let's set the record straight. Tested is not his autobiography. Neither does it claim to be one. It is more of a self-help and motivational book. Cummins interviews eleven accomplished personalities - individuals from different walks of life. Podcaster, business magnates, media and film personalities, politicians etc. A collection of wisdom, if I may say.

It must have taken painstaking efforts to get all the interviewees on board. Cummins and his team definitely deserves credit for putting together this one of a type initiative.

Though each chapter has in-depth insights about the interviewee and the field they operate in, I found the conversations with Julia Gillard, Dennis Lillee and Ronnie Screwvala to be interesting. Particularly the one with Dennis Lillee. The chapter offers deep insights about the World Series cricket and how it revolutionized cricket in the late 90’s.

It talks about change, innovation and adaptability. Cummins has taken the opportunity to talk about his injury struggles throughout the career and how Deniss the coach has helped him develop a sustainable bowling action. It’s rightly titled “Amateurs try, professionals prepare and adapt”.

The aim is to help the readers become better leaders. Cummins brings in spice by adding cricket references and sharing insights from his own cricketing journey in between the chapters to drive the point more effectively. The diversity of stories makes for an enriching read.

Through the book, Pat reflects on the major moments that have shaped his life, both personally and professionally.

This also means this is not your conventional cricket book. So if you are coming with that expectation, you would want to look somewhere else. I hope that he accomplishes a lot more in the years to come and will wait for him to write a memoir some day.

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