Patrick James Cummins (born 8 May 1993) is an Australian international cricketer who captains the Australian cricket team in Test and One Day International cricket. A right-arm fast bowler, he is currently regarded as being among the best bowlers in Test cricket. As of January 2023, Cummins is rated as the number one bowler in the world in the ICC test bowling rankings. Cummins was a member of the Australian team that won the 2015 Cricket World Cup, 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, and was the winning captain of the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final.
Cummins was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. His father is an Australian of Irish descent and his mother is an Australian of South African descent. Cummins attended Westfield Sports High School, where he played cricket and rugby league. He was a member of the New South Wales under-19 cricket team and the Australian Schoolboys rugby league team.
Cummins made his debut for New South Wales in the 2010-11 season. He was particularly impressive in his maiden Big Bash League season, taking 11 wickets in 10 matches. In 2011, Cummins was selected in the Australian squad for the Test series against South Africa.
Cummins made his Test debut against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 17 November 2011. He took 7 wickets for 127 runs in the match, including 6 wickets in the second innings. Cummins' performance helped Australia to win the match and square the series.
Cummins made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka at the Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin on 2 February 2014. He took 2 wickets for 55 runs in the match. Cummins was part of the Australian team that won the 2015 Cricket World Cup, but he only played two matches in the tournament due to injury
Cummins made his T20I debut against England at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on 12 September 2016. He took 1 wicket for 20 runs in the match. Cummins was part of the Australian team that won the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, but he missed the final due to a personal reason.
Cummins has established himself as one of the best Test bowlers in the world. He has taken over 200 wickets in Test cricket at an average of 22.95. Cummins has also scored over 1000 runs in Test cricket, with a highest score of 103.
Cummins was appointed captain of the Australian Test team in November 2021. He is the first fast bowler to captain Australia in Test cricket since Ray Lindwall in 1956.
Cummins has been involved in a few controversies during his career. In 2016, he was fined for wearing a sponsored headband during a Test match. In 2019, he was criticized for his role in the "Sandpapergate" scandal, in which Australian players were caught tampering with the ball during a Test match against South Africa.
Cummins is married to Becky Boston. They have a daughter