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In the third installment of ‘The Test’ on Amazon Prime Video, Pat Cummins shared the profound influence of his mother’s words of wisdom, which fueled his aspiration to become a global champion.
Pat Cummins reflected on the moments when his mother encouraged him to strive for greatness and leave a lasting impact on the world. In November 2011, Cummins marked his international debut during the South Africa tour, showcasing immediate brilliance in the Johannesburg Test by claiming 6 wickets in the second innings, despite Australia’s loss in the match.
Subsequently, Cummins faced numerous setbacks due to injuries, sidelining him from the game. However, he staged a remarkable comeback and is currently experiencing a period of exceptional performance in his career. Cummins previously assumed the roles of Test captain, succeeding Tim Paine, and also took over leadership duties in ODIs and T20Is from Aaron Finch.
In the past year, Cummins played a pivotal role in Australia’s successful retention of the Ashes and their triumphant journey in both the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 and the ODI World Cup. Cummins emphasized the significance of his mother’s unwavering belief in his ability to excel for Australia and other competing teams.
“My mother told me that ‘Pat, go and take on the world. Someone’s going to go and do these wonderful things, it might as well be you,” Cummins said in Season 3 of the documentary ‘The Test’.
‘Hardest time of my life’
In the previous year, Cummins experienced the loss of his mother to cancer. During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India, he had to abruptly return home due to personal circumstances. Following Cummins’ departure, Steve Smith assumed leadership responsibilities for the national team. The Australian captain called it “the hardest time of my life”.
“I knew when I was getting on that plane that I was going to have to come back in a couple of weeks pretty much. Flying away… That’s the hardest time of my life, easily,” Cummins said in March on the Imperfects podcast.
“I probably felt it in the 12 months leading in. Any time I flew away I was like, ‘Time’s finite here, I’m making a deliberate choice to go and play somewhere rather than spend it at home’,” he said.
Currently stationed in India for IPL 2024, Cummins has steered SRH to the final showdown scheduled for Sunday, May 26, against KKR at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
