Pat Cummins recently addressed the subdued welcome the Australian cricket team received upon their return home after their stunning ODI World Cup triumph in India last November. A video showed Cummins quietly navigating through Sydney airport with only a handful of journalists capturing the moment, and barely any fans to cheer him on after their monumental victory.
India, who had been unbeaten until the final, faced a heartbreaking defeat in Ahmedabad. Australia, who were once languishing at the bottom of the points table, executed a remarkable turnaround to clinch their record-extending sixth ODI World Cup trophy.
Cummins defended the low-key reception, suggesting that while it may not have been as exuberant as the one India would have received if they had won, Australians were still thrilled by the achievement.
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“That’s Australia for you. It’s great, it’s peaceful!” Pat Cummins remarked in an interview with SportsTak when asked about the modest homecoming.
He elaborated, “It’s a bit different because everyone heads off to different states. We didn’t have one big celebration back in Australia, but I can assure you, everyone was buzzing. Every time we were out in public over the following weeks, people were absolutely thrilled about the World Cup final, just like we were as players. While the streets might not have been lined with fans like they would’ve been here in India, the enthusiasm and pride were definitely there.”
Cummins is now vying for another title as he leads his franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad, into the IPL 2024 final against Kolkata Knight Riders.
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Reflecting on the prospect of another championship, Pat Cummins said, “It would be fantastic. At some point, the run of winning titles might end… it’s been an incredible couple of years. I hadn’t captained in any T20 cricket before this series, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.”
In 2023, Cummins captained Australia to two major victories: the ICC World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup. Additionally, Australia retained the Ashes after drawing a five-match series 2-2 in England. Cummins’ leadership has been pivotal in this golden period for Australian cricket, and his sights are now set on adding an IPL trophy to his impressive list of achievements.
