Pat Cummins was in the thick of the so-called ‘sportswashing’ sponsorship controversy last year, but there is a chance he returned a six-figure sum to a big-name backer.
The 29-year-old Aussie skipper has donned New Balance cricket gear since he first came into the spotlight as a tearaway quick set to become one of the country’s best fast bowlers.
With a pace exceeding close to 160kmh and a six-wicket haul on his Test debut in 2011, the down-to-earth Blue Mountains native is hot property; but unfortunately, a series of debilitating back injuries meant he was unable to return to the Test arena for another five years.
Aussie cricket skipper Pat Cummins has been found to have missed out on a huge sum of money from his long-time sponsor as he spent years sidelined with injuries.
Cricket Australia knew they had someone very special on their hands, and New Balance stuck to the impressive fast as he suffered setback after setback.
Hence, Cummins did not feel comfortable taking huge sums from New Balance as he was unable to promote their batting equipment and shoes while wearing the loose green.
The injury-prone athlete, who completed a Bachelor of Business while he recuperated, insisted he forgo a six-figure sum from the athleticwear giant until he could properly represent their gear on the world stage.
New Balance vice president Darren Tucker, who played for NSW, said Cummins’ act was unlike anything he had seen in his post-cricket career.
Pat Cummins, pictured running his farm in a New Balance top, has been sponsored by the company for over a decade
‘We certainly didn’t pay him the full amount,’ he told the Daily Telegraph.
‘He signed for us almost straight out of South Africa, his first Test. Obviously over the next five years he probably had three stress fractures.
‘You have these agreements with certain athletes around the world and their contract is their contract and that’s what they do,’ Tucker said.
Standing by Cummins’ side throughout his time in the wilderness – and subsequently saving six figures through his generous act – has certainly paid off for New Balance.
Pat Cummins burst onto the scene on Australia’s 2011 tour of South Africa, before spending the next five years in the international wilderness thanks to a series of back injuries.
Out of his injury purgatory, Cummins is now his country’s captain and the unbreakable lynchpin of the Aussie bowling attack
He now captains his country, has taken 389 wickets across all three international formats and has become a seemingly unbreakable stalwart of the famed Aussie pace battery.
Tucker said Cummins was the dream client for the gear giant, founded in 1906 in the US and inspired by chickens; that the three-pronged foot results in perfect balance.
‘When Pat commits to you, he makes himself available and always tries to give the right thing … (he) very much doesn’t like publicity,’ he said.
I don’t know what number our contract is now. We must have three or four contracts.’
Pat Cummins walked off after being dismissed in the Boxing Day Test wearing his New Balance gear
The six-figure sum is likely chump change to Cummins today, whose net worth is estimated at an impressive $63million.
Aside from his $2million-a-year contract with Cricket Australia, Cummins has long been a corporate darling.
He has highly profitable partnerships with luxury watch manufacturer Hublot, razor company Gillette, Gatorade and many other environmentally conscious brands.
Cummins sparked a storm of controversy last year when he effectively appeared to force Cricket Australia to end a $40million sponsorship with energy provider Alinta, over which he had ‘ethical objections’.
Pat Cummins, pictured with wife Becky at a Hublot event, has a rewarding partnership with the luxury watchmaker
He also spruiked the Chinese solar energy company Longi, even though the manufacturer was involved in the use of slave labor
Pat Cummins is sponsored by Hublot along with two other legends of Aussie cricket: Michael Clarke and Ellyse Perry
Cummins is also endorsed by Gillette, and has appeared in several ads for the shaving company
Although both Cricket Australia and Cummins have denied the case; although public opinion remains the same, and the partnership is now in its final year and the skipper will not appear in any of their ads as he did last year.
Cricket fans, former greats, pundits and even politicians have weighed in on the saga, accusing Cummins of double standards because he drives a carbon-guzzling Range Rover, flies first class around the world and has a partnership with a Chinese solar energy company, Longi , involved in slave labor.
Cummins remains Australia’s best-selling cricket man, however, and will continue to sleep soundly in the $10million Bronte home he shares with wife Becky and son Albie.
