Cricketer Pat Cummins and his wife Becky have spoken of their struggles following the birth of their son Albie, with the Test skipper having to fly to India just four days later.
The Australian captain is expecting his second child with wife Becky in January or early February, around the time the Aussies are due to play two Tests against Sri Lanka.
Cummins has said he regrets not spending more time with his wife when his son Albie was born in 2021, so he’s making sure things will be different this time.
In his new book, Tested, Cummins and his wife discuss the heartbreaking toll of not being there during Albie’s first few weeks.
“We came home from the hospital the day you left and I remember finding you sobbing on the floor as you were packing your bags,” Becky tells Pat in the book, as reported by News Corp.
‘All I could think was, “Why is he so emotional? We’re doing well. It’s no big deal.”
“They say ignorance is bliss. When I look back, [looking after a newborn on my own for about a month] at that moment was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life.
“But I got through every day knowing that soon I would be on a plane and reunited with you, so I held on to that. That alone got me through some very lonely and tiring days and nights.
Pat Cummins’ wife Becky has opened up about the weeks after son Albie was born
Becky says she found Pat sobbing on the floor before he had to fly to India
“When I finally arrived in Brisbane in November for the start of the summer series, we had two blissful days together before you became Test captain.
‘It was an amazing thing to happen, and so deserved, but it also felt like my world had just collapsed. I had no control over anything. This baby would be the most important thing in our lives, and all I wanted was for us to be together and enjoy him.
‘It felt like that importance, and that time, was being ripped away from me. Your new role was the one thing everyone was talking about. It was all over the news. And every decision and meeting regarding the captaincy seemed so urgent. I was so proud, but also felt a little hollow.
‘You took on the task and were absolutely brilliant. I knew you were the best man for the job and that this was your time to shine, but what bad timing. I often thought about how selfish it was for me to think this way.
“I was only a few weeks postpartum and physically and mentally exhausted, but I’ll never forget the moment I realized I just had to go home and do it alone. I had to, because if Albie and I stayed with him, it would break your heart and also your concentration.
Pat says he’ll make sure he’s there more often after the birth of his next child
“You couldn’t be a captain and a young father at that time and I felt it was best to let you be captain.”
Earlier this month, Cummins revealed he’ll make sure he’s around more after the birth of his next baby.
‘I missed a big part [of son Albie’s early days] last time and I want to figure out how we can spend a little more time at home this time,” Cummins told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“No one, within reason, would ever blink an eye when someone has to put their family first.
‘We play cricket, it’s not the end of the world, so we want people to have long, successful careers for Australia, and you can’t just ask them to put their lives on hold to travel the world and do everything to forget. everything else. We’re pretty open when it comes to family.”
Cummins revealed earlier this year how the loss of his mother Maria in 2023 fundamentally changed the way he sees the world.
“Everything I do now, I have a moment of pause and I say, ‘This is going to take me away from my family. Is it something I really want to do?’ And if it’s a yes, then you’re all in,” he told Stellar magazine.
‘I notice that I am more conscious of what I spend my time, effort and energy on. You just have to do that as a parent. And I think that’s a good thing.”
Earlier this year, Pat revealed he was never mentally present for last year’s Test tour of India, describing it as the “hardest time of his life” as he struggled with the loss of his mother’s health.
The challenging episode has encouraged him to take a more holistic approach to leadership, encouraging players to live full lives on tour.
Cummins traveled to India in February 2023 and stayed for just two tests before rushing home to be by his mother Maria’s side as she received palliative care.
He only returned to team duty after she died in May.
