"His mum hasn't been well for a few years now" - Ricky Ponting empathises with Pat Cummins

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has said that he reached out to Pat Cummins after learning about the bowler's trip home in the middle of the Test series in India. Ponting said that the Australian captain's mother has been ill for years and understands why he departed.

Cummins returned home after the second Test against India to attend to his ailing mother, who is reportedly in palliative care. The 29-year-old is also unlikely to return for the final Test in Ahmedabad, which starts on March 9.

Speaking on a recent episode of the ICC Review, Ponting said:

"I have actually spoken to Pat a couple of times. When I first heard that he was making the trip home between Test matches, I had a pretty good understanding of what that was – his mum hasn't been well for a few years now, so I thought that might have been the reason. I reached out to him there and then."

The former player reckons that the support of the cricketing fraternity is a testament to the tight-knit nature of the sport.

"I think we've seen as well just how small and how tight the cricket world can be. I'm sure that he would've received a lot of well-wishes from all parts of the world, the cricket-loving fraternity, that would've sent some messages of support to him and the rest of his family in obviously what is a really difficult time for them."

Cummins' Aussie teammates and the support staff have been highly supportive of his decision. In his absence, Steve Smith stepped up to lead Australia to a win in the third Test in Indore.

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"Best group of sporting fans that I've ever seen" - Ricky Ponting on the Barmy Army

Ricky Ponting (Image Credits: Getty)

Reflecting on the Barmy Army's heartfelt gesture for Cummins' mother, the Tasmanian recalled how the fan group used to come up with lighthearted banters during his playing days. Ponting added:

"I mean, that's fantastic. And that's the exact point that I was making about how small the cricket fraternity is and how tight and how close it is. I've said this for forever, I was lucky to play a lot of Ashes cricket and lucky to witness a lot of really good, lighthearted banter from the Barmy Army. I think they are the best group of sporting fans that I've ever seen."

Cummins has also been named in the ODI squad for the subsequent series against India. It remains to be seen whether he returns for the same.