Pat Cummins is a player who embodies the Aussie spirit of perseverance. After a stellar start to his career, injuries threatened to end his career, but the star all-rounder defied the odds and now sits atop the ICC Test bowler rankings.
Patrick James Cummins, also known as Pat Cummins, is an Australian cricketer who was born in Westmead, Sydney, on May 8, 1993. He bats and bowls right-handed and is a right-handed fast bowler.
Records
In the ICC rankings, he is currently ranked as the best Test Bowler in the world.
Awards
2020 Wisden Cricketer of the Year
Career
Domestic Career
Pat Cummins began his cricket career as a junior with the Glenbrook Cricket Club. In 2010, he made his first-class cricket debut, playing for Penrith.
The 2010-11 season was his best in domestic cricket, with him finishing as the T20 Big Bash League’s top wicket-taker. He made his first-class debut in a match against Tasmania in March 2011, collecting his first four-wicket haul.
IPL career
Pat Cummins was purchased by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 due to his sheer speed and ability to consistently touch the ground. However, due to injuries and a lack of chances, he only appeared in four games during the following two seasons.
The Delhi Capitals purchased the Australian bowler ahead of the 2017 IPL season. Cummins appeared in 12 games and took 17 wickets. However, after being bought by KKR for a whopping 15.50 crores, he became the most expensive buy in the 2020 IPL Auction (AUD 3.17 million). For pacer Cummins, it’s back to purple and gold.
International Career
Cummins made his Test debut at the age of 18, an achievement that only a few others had accomplished. People had high expectations for Cummins when he made his Test debut against South Africa in 2011. But he didn’t let them down, and in his first test, he was named Man of the Match. Cummins took 1/38 and 6/79 to become the second-youngest Test cricketer to take six wickets in an innings (behind Enamul Haque Jr.).
However, injuries struck a frail body that could not tolerate the rigours of international cricket, and the rugged paceman had to wait six years for his next appearance. Pat Cummins made a return in 2017 when he was selected for the 2017 tour of India after fighting mental demons and health issues. And he stood out as a much leaner, meaner, and fitter man.
Later, he was picked to play in the critical Ashes series at home in 2017-18. It was the perfect time for Cummins to make a point, and he didn’t waste it. He had a fantastic series, citing some critical breakthroughs and still contributing with the bat. The urn was reclaimed by Australia, and the cricketing community was persuaded that Cummins was here to stay.
Cummins has been the Australian Test team’s first choice since the 2017 season. Though his teammates Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and James Pattinson have all been plagued with injuries, Cummins has been mostly injury-free.
With his maiden 10-wicket haul in the first Test at The Gabba, he was the chief architect of Australia’s innings victory over Sri Lanka in the 2018–19 Sri Lanka tour of Australia. He was named Man of the Match after taking 14 wickets in the series.
On October 19, 2011, Pat Cummins made his One-Day International debut against the same opponent as his Test opponent, South Africa. He tried to play sometimes, but injuries forced him out of the game.
Cummins was a member of Australia’s 2015 World Cup-winning team, but he only played two games (in which he excelled) due to recurrent injury issues and other factors.
He was chosen for the ODI series against India in 2019. In the first ODI, he bowled 0-48 in 10 overs, while in the second ODI, he bowled 4-29 in 10 overs. Cummins’ best bowling figures in an ODI came in the fourth ODI, when he took 5/70 to limit India to 358/9.
Cummins took his 100th wicket in ODI cricket on February 29, 2020, in the first match against South Africa.
Pat made his international debut in 2011 against South Africa. He took five wickets in all in the two-match T20 series, two in the first and three in the second. In the world T20 arena, he is also finding his feet. He’s only played 30 T20Is so far, but he’s already taken 37 wickets.
Family
Pat Cummins was born in Westmead, South Australia, on May 8, 1993, to Peter and Maria Cummins. He attended Sydney University of Technology. On February 5, 2020, he proposed to his long-time girlfriend Becky Boston.