The Aussie reveals his decision to join MLC is interlinked with his future plans.
Australia’s ODI and Test captain Pat Cummins has recently opened up about his plans post-retirement.
Cummins, who made waves after his decision to join the Major League Cricket (MLC) on a lucrative four-year contract with San Francisco Unicorns revealed that the decision is interlinked with his future plans.
The San Franciso Unicorns are owned by a pair of India-born venture capitalists based in California and it was the owners’ Silicon Valley background that convinced the Aussie of the move.
Cummins had only previously played in one overseas T20 league (IPL), but his interest was piqued by the identity of the franchise’s owners – Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Cummins said, “It’s a space that I find super interesting, particularly the venture-capital world,” Cummins says. “I potentially see that as something I’d like to do more of post-cricket, so [this is] a way to align with a few of those guys, learn off them over the next few years, be around some of those conversations.”
Early in his career, Cummins faced a challenging five-year period plagued by injuries, which made him keenly aware of the fleeting nature of professional sports.
During his extensive rehabilitation, he pursued business studies at the University of Technology in Sydney. He also serves on the board of the Australian Cricketers’ Association and uses his platform to advocate for climate change action.
Joining MLC offers the 31-year-old an opportunity to expand his network. Since his arrival in the US, Cummins has had informal discussions about potential prospects ‘over coffee’.
However, Cummins emphasised that playing for Australia remains a priority. The Cricket Australia (CA) too has restricted his participation to four out of six MLC group games this year to manage his workload. His availability for the 2025 tournament will be contingent on any potential overlap with a two-match Test series in the Caribbean.
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