Don't think we're as abrasive as we've been in past: Australia skipper Pat Cummins

Brisbane [Australia], December 16 (ANI): Australian Test captain Pat Cummins has claimed that the team is simply competitive and not as 'obnoxious' as they were a few years ago.
Cummins said Australia has moved past the 2018 Newlands ball-tampering scandal, ahead of its preparations for an upcoming three-match Test series against South Africa.
The ball-tampering incident, which rocked the cricket world when the two teams were last involved in a bilateral Test series in 2018, is back in focus in the lead-up to the upcoming series.
The ball tampering incident plunged Australia cricket into crisis eventually resulted in the suspension of then Test captain Steve Smith and opener David Warner from international and domestic cricket for a year and Cameron Bancroft for 9 months.
"We've all moved on. I don't think we're probably as abrasive as we've been in the past. It's working for us. How we are off the field is pretty similar to what we play on the field I think -- calm, very chill, just enjoying it out there, really competitive. And we've done that really well over the last 12 months," ESPNcricinfo quoted Pat Cummins as saying.
"We're really strong on what we are as a team, how we want to go about it. The last 12 months have been a great example on that. We're pretty firm on how we want to act and conduct ourselves. Whatever gets thrown at us, won't change that," he said.
Australia on Friday announced its starting lineup for the first Test against South Africa in Brisbane. The match would see the return of captain Cummins, who didn't take the field in the second West Indian innings of the second and final Test of the recently-concluded series, to nurse a quad injury.
Cummins confirmed his return to lead the Baggy Greens after unveiling the Aussie starting line-up for the opening Test against the Proteas. He will take back the reins from Steve Smith, who was handed interim charge of the team after Cummins sat out the latter part of the second Test against the Caribbeans.
Seamer Scott Boland keeps his place in the starting XI as Josh Hazlewood, who has been diagnosed with a side strain, is expected to miss the opening Test.
Fast bowler Michael Neser, who featured in the playing XI in the final Test against the Caribbean, would make way for Cummins.
Southpaws Usman Khawaja and David Warner will open for Australia, followed by ICC Men's Test number one batter Marnus Labuschagne at No.3 and No.2 batter in the ICC rankings, Steve Smith, at No.4.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey has been entrusted with glovework while Travis Head and Cameron Green would bat at Nos. 5 and 6, respectively.
Though the tourists have history against them, having gone winless in four attempts in the longest format Down Under, early assessments of the Brisbane pitch this week suggest that the pace batteries of both teams would find the conditions to their liking.
The South Africa series is part of the World Test Championship, which has Australia in the lead (75 per cent of potential points) and South Africa at second (60 per cent of possible points) on the points table.
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Lance Morris, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner.
South Africa squad: Dean Elgar (c), Temba Bavuma, Gerald Coetzee, Theunis de Bruyn, Sarel Erwee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Heinrich Klaasen, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams and Khaya Zondo. (ANI)