On the first morning of the Perth Test against Pakistan, Australia captain Pat Cummins had won the toss and elected to bat, so members of the home squad had spare minutes up their sleeve to get the obligatory team photograph. The skipper loitered, waiting for his teammates to find their most photogenic order, before he took the chair front and centre reserved for the main man.

He looked calm, unfussed, bored even – there were no signs of series-opening stress or leadership burnout, despite commencing the home international season coming off an extraordinarily busy and an extraordinarily successful year.

The biggest short-term issue on his mind may have been a local plinth shortage, so cluttered was the foreground with silver and crystal. Before him sat the World Test Championship trophy, the ODI World Cup and the modern glassware version of the Ashes (England retain the original having claimed a moral victory) – all won under his captaincy.

Could we have confused his unfussed demeanour for smug contentedness, or just a simple inner peace?

I’m plumping for the latter, given the complete absence of hubris that has characterised his leadership. Win, lose or draw he has presented a smiling face, an appreciation of his opponents and an understanding of the position his sport takes in the wider community.

That doesn’t mean he plays a diluted competitive style because the scowl and growl are stowed. He bowls fast, appeals loudly, competes at every instance and encourages his players to do likewise: Bradman’s quote about “modesty and competitiveness being completely compatible” comes to mind.

Pat Cummins relaxes with the Ashes after a stirring series in England.Credit: Getty

Cummins handles DRS referrals with the same expression that he decides on his sock colour of the day, and he never argues with umpires. Much of this behaviour would normally make him ineligible for the fast bowlers’ union.

His handling of the Bairstow imbroglio at Lord’s was both understated and direct: he supported his team and kept his players focused on the details of the match as irrationality reigned at the home of cricket. He cleverly dealt with the media by restating the facts and not letting emotion sway the dialogue. He redirects banal press questions with a smile, never raising his voice or showing an inkling of irritation. The last Australia captain with such a command of the press may have been Richie Benaud.