Pat Cummins Expecting Second Child, Takes Break from Cricket

Pat Cummins, the Australian men's Test cricket captain, and his wife Becky are expecting their second child.

What happened?

The couple, who already have a two-year-old son Albie, announced the news on Instagram, saying they are "so happy to finally share our baby news" and are "excited to meet" their new baby.

The news was met with congratulations from notable names in the cricket community, including Jess Head, wife of Pat's teammate Travis, and Rachel Khawaja, wife of opening batter Usman.

Why it matters for Pat Cummins

Cummins will skip September's white-ball tour of England and Scotland, after spending only two months at home between February and July, and has been given two months off bowling by Cricket Australia coaching staff.

He will resume bowling again in late September, but will only play up to one of four Shield games for NSW before the first Test in Perth on November 24.

What comes next?

Instead, the 31-year-old will feature in a one-day series for Australia against Pakistan, which he prefers as a build-up to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Cummins said his decision to play in the Indian Premier League and Major League Cricket in the USA was not a case of club-versus-country, and that he is focusing on gym work and reassessing his path forward.

He predicted that Cameron Green and Mitch Marsh's inclusion will be vital this summer, with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy stretching to five Tests for the first time.

The Australian team will also fly to Sri Lanka in mid-January for a Test series, with Cummins expecting a challenging summer ahead.

Cummins has been given time to rest and recover, with Cricket Australia coaching staff giving him two months off bowling, and he will look to make the most of this break before returning to cricket.