As captain of Australia’s Test side,Cummins must look after others before thinking of himself in cricketing terms. But teammates and staff in India were unified in the belief that,in the circumstances,he should be allowed to go home to be with family as soon as he was able.
Pat Cummins with his mum Maria,and sisters Laura and Kara.Instagram
Now,as Cummins,those same teammates are equally adamant that he is exactly where he should be,while the remainder of the squad forges on to Indore for the third Test.
“That’s just generally being good people,” Peter Handscomb said. “In any workforce or any business,family is still No.1,so if anything is going on,you’ve got to be able to go home. Cricket’s always going to be there.”
When Cummins flew to India at the start of this month,it had been over a year since he and his family had resumed reckoning with Maria’s breast cancer after a long period of remission,through several rounds of treatment and the ups and downs familiar to many who have lived with the illness.
Maria’s first encounter with cancer had taken place when Cummins was at primary school. In a 2018 column forAthletes Voice,he had recounted that experience and its legacy.
Pat Cummins at the coin toss in Delhi. He had been given the option of flying home before the match.Getty
“Mum went through all the chemo and radiation therapy. It lasted about six months. She’s one of the lucky ones,” Cummins wrote. “She came out the other side.
“But cancer has a tendency to hang over your head long after you’ve gone into remission. There are all the check-ups and the tests and that means the thought of it is always lurking somewhere.
“As a kid you think,‘Mum said it’s going to be all right,so it’s going to be all right.’ It’s not until you get a bit older when you think,‘That was really serious’.”
Much of Cummins’ social conscience and awareness of the wider world is drawn from his parents Maria and Peter. Among numerous charitable activities,they have been for decades.
The wedding of Cummins and his longtime partner Becky Boston,in Byron Bay last August,had been a joyous occasion for many reasons,but one of them was that Maria was able to attend.
Pat Cummins batting with Peter Handscomb during the Delhi Test.Getty Images
In October,Cummins was confirmed as Aaron Finch’s successor to lead the ODI team,a decision that added greatly to his leadership responsibilities. But it was made in the knowledge that numerous other players such as Josh Hazlewood,Mitchell Marsh,Alex Carey and Steve Smith would be able to stand in when required.
The following month,Cummins confirmed he would not be taking up his option to play for Kolkata in the 2023 edition of the IPL,citing a hugely demanding schedule with the India tour,England tour and ODI World Cup all part of the program.
Among many considerations for missing the IPL was going to be to give Cummins a precious window of time at home with Maria and his family,amid the uncertainties of her treatment and prognosis.
While Cummins played and led Australia through the home summer,his mother’s treatment continued,and only a small circle of senior cricket figures were made aware of her illness as a factor in decision-making around schedules and availability.
In India,Cummins was always intending to go home between the second and third Tests to spend time with Maria. The wrenching news about the decision to move into palliative care arrived after the Nagpur match.
Cummins is as resilient as they come,but according to those close to him,he wrestled with the many emotions this brought to bear. Ultimately,Cummins decided that he would remain in India to see the Delhi Test through before making his visit home as planned.
On match eve,Cummins reiterated his belief that the game needed to be played with a smile on your face to be successful,pushing back against
“We all are at our best when we’re having fun,” he told SEN. “We love touring alongside each other,it’s great fun. I don’t really buy the narrative that we need to be mean and nasty.”
But there was nothing fun about the thoughts that swirled around Cummins’ head during those three days’ play. In that context,an innings of 33 alongside Handscomb on day one in Delhi was one of Cummins’ very best.
He departed for Australia on the night,and returned to his mother and family. It was only after a couple of days at home that a further doctors’ update about Maria’s prognosis arrived,compelling Cummins to inform the team in India that he intended to stay on.
Cummins’ deputy,Smith,met with the head coach Andrew McDonald at the team hotel early on Thursday morning to confirm he would take up the captaincy for the Indore Test. The wider squad was then informed of the situation before training in Delhi.
“I have decided against returning to India at this time as my mother is ill and in palliative care,” Cummins told the world later on Thursday. “I feel I am best being here with my family.
“I appreciate the overwhelming support I have received from Cricket Australia and my teammates. Thanks for your understanding.”
There is no certainty about when exactly Cummins will return to lead the team,but empathy is plentiful among players and staff. To name two examples,Handscomb’s father John died in 2015,while Mitchell Starc,after he had insisted that his son play out the home summer rather than stay by his side.
“It’s not easy,” Handscomb said. “So it’s pretty understandable that Pat’s gone home and it’s always going to be family first,that’s a good mentality around this group. There’s a lot of empathy going towards Pat,and the boys have been sending messages,wishing him and his family lots of love.”
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