Australia Test and ODI skipper Pat Cummins's mother Maria passed away overnight in Sydney due to cancer, according to information reaching here on Friday. She was undergoing palliative care in a hospital in Sydney.
Cricket Australia confirmed the news of Maria's death in a Tweet on Friday. "We are deeply saddened at the passing of Maria Cummins overnight," said Cricket Australia in a statement.
"On behalf of Australian Cricket, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Pat, the Cummins family and their friends." The Australian cricketers playing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will wear black armbands as a tribute to her on the second day of the fourth and final Test of the series here.
Cummins had returned home after Australia's second Test defeat in New Delhi to remain in Sydney to be at the side of his mother who is in palliative care due to breast cancer.
Steve Smith is leading the Australian team in India in Cummins' absence. Cummins had returned to Australia to be at his mother's side after her condition worsened.
Initially, he was expected to return to India for the third Test at Indore but decided against that. A couple of days back, Cricket Australia announced that he will miss the Ahmedabad Test too and Smith will lead the team instead.
In his contact with the team camp in Ahmedabad over recent days, Australian media has reported that Cummins relayed the fact that he had felt incredibly supported in making the call to leave the tour after the Delhi Test to be by Maria's side, missing the matches in Indore and Ahmedabad as a consequence.