Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins has opened up about the profound personal impact of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, describing how the violence in his own neighbourhood left him and his family watching in horror.
A Personal Tragedy Close to Home
The New South Wales fast bowler lives locally to the iconic Bondi area, which was targeted by two terrorists on Sunday. A large gathering of Jewish Australians were celebrating the first day of Hanukkah in the park when the attack unfolded. Fifteen victims were shot dead and dozens more were injured in the very same park Cummins's family frequents.
"First of all, like most other Aussies and people around the world, just horrified watching on," Cummins told reporters on Tuesday. He recounted putting his children to bed and flicking on the news with his wife, watching the events in disbelief. "It's a place that's just around the corner from where we live and we take the kids there all the time, so it hit home pretty hard," he said emotionally.
Cummins expressed his deep sympathy for the local and Jewish communities, stating he would wear an armband throughout the upcoming Test match to commemorate the victims. England captain Ben Stokes echoed these sentiments, calling the attack an "awful thing" and stating the tourists' hearts were with the affected communities.
An Aggressive Ashes Comeback Plan
Amid the sombre backdrop, Cummins confirmed he is a starter for Wednesday's third Ashes Test in Adelaide, marking his first Test since mid-July. His return comes after a successful but aggressive seven-week recovery from a stress fracture in his back—an injury that normally requires a four-month rehabilitation.
"We set on a pretty aggressive plan to get up in six or seven weeks," Cummins explained, detailing a pathway that involved 16 weeks completely off bowling to allow the bone to heal. He admitted the plan was essentially "Ashes or bust," driven by the significance of the series. To his relief, the recovery went "better than I would have thought," with no major setbacks.
Leading a Squad at Its Peak
Cummins returns to an Australian team holding a commanding 2-0 lead in the Ashes series, achieved largely without him, injured quick Josh Hazlewood, and spinner Nathan Lyon. He praised the incredible depth of Australia's fast-bowling resources, name-checking Michael Neser, Brendan Doggett, and the returning Jhye Richardson.
"It feels like everything has come together and we're not just hanging on until the end of the series, which sometimes you are," Cummins said with optimism. "We're actually peaking and hopefully have heaps of resources available." His comeback adds a formidable weapon to Australia's attack as they look to secure the series in Adelaide.
