sport news Pat Cummins opens up about the 'hardest time of his life' as he completely lost ... trends now
Pat Cummins says he was never mentally present for last year's Test tour of India, describing it as the 'hardest time of his life' as he grappled with his mother's loss of health.
The challenging episode has encouraged him to take a more holistic approach to leadership, encouraging players to live full lives on tour.
Cummins travelled to India in February of 2023 and stayed for just two Tests before making a dash home to be by his mother Maria's side as she received palliative care.
He didn't return to team duty until after she died in May.
The Test captain opened up on his experiences on The Imperfects, a podcast which sees famous Australians reflect on difficult stages of their life which are not always in the public eye.
Pat Cummins has opened up on his turmoil last year following a family tragedy
Cummins lost his mother, Maria (left), while he was on tour with Australia in India
'I knew when I was getting on that plane (to the India tour) I was going to have to come back in a couple of weeks,' he said.
'Maybe only a handful of people knew that was going to be the case.'
As is the case with any Australian captain, on any tour - but particularly in India - Cummins was heavily scrutinised as his side fell to a 2-0 deficit in the series, which kept the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Indian hands.
Cummins took just three wickets in two Tests.
The 30-year-old said while he travelled with his parents'
