Cricketer Pat Cummins and his wife Becky have spoken about their struggles after the birth of their son Albie, with the Test skipper having to fly out to India just four days afterwards.
The Australian captain is expecting his second child with wife Becky in January or early February, around the time the Aussies are scheduled 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 him not being around for Albie’s first weeks.
‘We arrived home from the hospital on the day you left and I remember walking in on you sobbing on the floor while 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 are going to be fine. It’s not a big deal.”
‘They say ignorance is bliss. When I look back, [looking after a newborn on my own for about a month] was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life at that point.
‘But I got through each day knowing I would be on a plane soon and reunited with you, so I clung onto 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 were made Test captain.
‘It was an amazing thing to happen, and so deserved, but also it felt like my world had just crumbled. I had no control over anything. This baby was supposed to be the most important thing in our life, and all I wanted was for us to be together to enjoy him.
‘It felt like that importance, and that time, was being torn away from me. Your new role was all anybody was talking about. It was all over the news. And every decision and every meeting relating to the captaincy seemed so pressing. I was so proud but also felt a bit hollow.
‘You stepped up to the task and were absolutely amazing. I knew you were the best man for the job and this was your time to shine, but what absolutely shit timing. I often thought of how selfish it was for me to be thinking like that.
‘I was only a few weeks postpartum and physically and mentally exhausted, but I will never forget the moment I realised that 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 will make sure he is around more after the birth of his next child
‘You couldn’t be captain and a young father in that moment and I felt the best thing to do was to let you captain.’
Earlier this month, Cummins revealed that he will make sure he is around more after the birth of his next baby.
‘I missed a big chunk [of son Albie’s early days] last time and I want to work out how we can spend a bit more time at home for that initial period this time around,’ Cummins told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘Within reason, no one is ever going to bat an eyelid if someone needs to put their family first.
‘We’re playing 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 life on hold to go tour the world and forget about everything else. We’re pretty open when it comes to family.’
Cummins revealed earlier this year how losing his mother Maria in 2023 fundamentally changed the way he looks at the world.
‘Anything that I do now, I have that second of pause and say, “This is going to take me away from my family. Is it something that I really want to do?” And if it’s a “yes”, then you’re all in it’ he told Stellar magazine.
‘I find myself more deliberate in where I spend my time and effort and energy. You just have to as a parent. And I think that’s a good thing’.
Earlier this year, Pat revealed 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.
