Australia captain Pat Cummins hinted that he might not be available for the Sri Lanka Tests scheduled for later this month as his wife Becky is expecting their second child.
After completing the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India in Sydney, Australia will travel to Sri Lanka to play the two-match Test series from January 29. The tour falls during the time when Cummin's wife Becky is expected to deliver their second child.
"It's pretty hard to plan exactly the day, but definitely (I might miss the Sri Lanka tour)," Cummins said to 'The Daily Telegraph' on Thursday ahead of the Pink Test, starting at Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.
If Cummins is absent, Steve Smith or Travis Head will lead the side. Last year, the loss of his mother had brought about a re-ordering in the priorities for him. It was during this period that the pacer left mid-India tour to be by her side as she entered the final stages.
"In some ways, it really makes you focus in on what I think is important. It's family, it's enjoyment, it's trying to find joy in life, and I think that's been a slight shift in the way I've approached playing and touring and it's just given me that real decluttering mindset," the Aussie captain said.
"When you go out, you just want to play well, and of course, there's going to be pressure, but you don't want to forget what mum and dad used to say to us every time we went out to play as kids: 'Go and enjoy it. Try your best, but make sure you enjoy it.' I try to remind myself of that every time I go on a tour or play. Whatever you choose to do, there's always an opportunity cost," Cummins reflected.
"In the last few years, that's really rung true. When you go away on tour, you're missing out on family time or moments. That's a deliberate choice, so you have to make sure you're making the most of that tour or that game, if that makes sense."
Cummins admitted to regretting missing the first few weeks of his son Albie's life because of World Cup commitments. "I missed a big chunk (of 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," he had said.
Cummins will lead Australia in the fifth and final Test against India, with the hope of clinching the series 3-1 for the first time since 2015. So far, Australia leads the series 2-1 after they won the Boxing Day Test by 184 runs at Melbourne Cricket Ground earlier this week.
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