'Everyone's Thinking of Him And His Family': Ricky Ponting Hails Cricket Community For Messages of Support to Pat Cummins' Mother

Pat Cummins is dealing with a family concern that forced him to return to Australia midway from the India tour where they are currently locked in a four-match Test series. Cummins flew home to be with his mother, Maria, who is in palliative care and it’s likely he may miss the fourth Test against India slated to be held in Ahmedabad from March 9.

Messages of support poured in from all around after news of Cummins’ mother was made public. Australia legend Pat Cummins says he spoke to the current Aussie captain after first hearing of him making the trip home between the series.

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“I have actually spoken to Pat a couple of times,” Ponting said on the latest episode of The ICC Review. “When I first heard that he was making the trip home between Test matches, I had a pretty good understanding of what that was – his mum hasn’t been well for a few years now, so I thought that might have been the reason. I reached out to him there and then.”

Ponting was all praise of the cricket world for their show of support in this difficult time for Cummins and his family.

“I think we’ve seen as well just how small and how tight the cricket world can be. I’m sure that he would’ve received a lot of well-wishes from all parts of the world, the cricket-loving fraternity, that would’ve sent some messages of support to him and the rest of his family in obviously what is a really difficult time for them,” Ponting said.

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“I don’t need to say anything too public, but just to let him know everyone’s thinking of him and his family and, hopefully, everyone respects that and gives them the time and the privacy that they need. I guess from the cricket lovers’ point of view as well, everyone just wants to see Pat back out there playing again,” he added.

The Barmy Army paid a beautiful tribute when they plated Maria from West Side Story during a Test match between New Zealand and England in Wellington.

“I mean, that’s fantastic,” Ponting said of the gesture. “And that’s the exact point that I was making about how small the cricket fraternity is and how tight and how close it is. I’ve said this for forever, I was lucky to play a lot of Ashes cricket and lucky to witness a lot of really good, light-hearted banter from the Barmy Army. I think they are the best group of sporting fans that I’ve ever seen.”

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