Pat Cummins and his wife Becky have finally settled on the purchase of their new $16 million home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. It follows recent reports that the Australian Test captain turned down a multi-million dollar offer to forgo international duties and play T20 franchise cricket full time, in further proof of his commitment to Australian cricket.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported last month that Cummins and Test teammate Travis Head were both offered nearly $10 million a year from an Indian Premier League group to become full-time T20 players. The pair both starred for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL last season, and are among the world’s most high-profile cricket stars.
Pat Cummins and wife Becky recently settled on the purchase of their new $16 million family home in Sydney’s Bronte in a further sign of his commitment to Australian cricket. Pic: Getty
But the massive offer was contingent on Cummins and Head forgoing their international commitments, and it’s something the Aussie Test stars are unwilling to do. Cummins reportedly earns around $10 million a year, which includes his $3 million contract with Cricket Australia, various sponsorships and endorsements and his $3.7 million IPL deal with Hyderabad.
The riches on offer from the IPL group come after a rapid expansion around the globe from several team owners. They’ve created a network of T20 franchises in other parts of the world including South Africa, the Caribbean, UAE, the USA and England. And the IPL competition is valued at a staggering $8.7 billion, making it the second-richest sports league in the world.
Cummins and Head are not the only big-name stars who’ve been offered eye-watering sums to play franchise T20 cricket full-time, with England’s Jofra Archer rejecting a $7.5 million deal with the Mumbai Indians. But it’s a fresh reminder of the threat to the future of Australian cricket, with a recent study showing more than a third of the nation’s top professional players would sever ties with Cricket Australia (CA) for a massive payday.
Travis Head and Pat Cummins both reaffirmed their commitment to Australian cricket by turning down massive offers to play franchise T20 cricket. Pic: Getty
The Australian Cricketers’ Association surveyed players across the 2024-25 season and revealed in their annual report that a significant number would forgo conventional CA contracts if the right opportunity arose. The report says 34 per cent of players agreed with the statement that “If I had the opportunity to, I would consider foregoing an Australian domestic contract (CA, State and/or W/BBL) to take up a contract to play in other tournaments globally.”
CA bosses have admitted they’re concerned about losing top Australian talent to overseas franchises and the situation has sparked renewed debate about opening up Australia’s domestic T20 competition to private investment as a way of pushing up player salaries. Australia’s top earners rake in around $1.5 million from their CA contracts, with Cummins earning $3 million as the nation’s captain.
Pat Cummins and wife settle on new $16 million family home
Cummins has no desire to give up his baggy green though, and the $16 million purchase of his new home in Bronte with wife Becky is further proof that his future lies in Australia. The couple bought the 1888 two-storey, five-bedroom home on Sydney’s glamorous eastern suburbs off market in November last year.
Pat Cummins and wife Becky Cummins pose with their son Albie during the last Ashes series in England. Pic: Getty
But they only finalised settlement on their new home recently, according to fresh property records. Cummins and his wife – who welcomed their second child Edi earlier this year – currently reside in a nearby five-bedroom Victorian manor which they bought for $9.3 million in 2021.
RELATED:
Cummins also owns a three-bedroom 1930s cottage in the Southern Highlands which he purchased in 2017 for $905,000 and rents out for $550-a-week. The Aussie captain previously sold his Clovelly apartment for $3.7 million.