Pat Cummins says Bondi terror attack ‘hit home pretty hard’ as tributes flow before third Ashes Test

Australia captain lives close by and takes his kids to beach ‘all the time’

TRIBUTE: Australia captain Pat Cummins has said the tragic events at Bondi beach ‘hit home pretty hard’ as they unfolded on Sunday night just down the road from his home in the neighbouring Sydney suburb of Bronte. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Australia captain Pat Cummins has said the tragic events at Bondi beach ‘hit home pretty hard’ as they unfolded on Sunday night just down the road from his home in the neighbouring Sydney suburb of Bronte.

As the cricket world prepares to pay tribute to the victims of the Bondi beach terror attack when the third Ashes Test gets under way in Adelaide on Wednesday, Cummins and England captain, Ben Stokes, revealed the profound impact the massacre had on them and their teammates.

“Like most other Aussies and people in the world, I was just horrified watching on,” Cummins said. “We had just put the kids to bed and flicked on the news as that was coming through. Me and my wife were watching in disbelief.

“It’s a place that’s just around the corner from where we live and we take the kids there all the time. It’s hit home pretty hard. We really feel for the Bondi community and the Jewish community in particular.” 

Stokes said it was “an awful thing to watch unfold”.

“We were sat in our team room and it came up on the news about what was happening. It was silence from everyone in there seeing that happen. It’s incredibly sad for Australia, for Sydney and for the world.

“It does put things into a lot of perspective when you see things like that happen. And for everyone that it’s affected, all our hearts go out to everyone. It’s a horrible thing to see happen.” 

The third Ashes Test will be the first major sporting event to take place since the attack, and presents an opportunity for the cricket world to mourn the victims and show support for those impacted.

Players of both teams will wear black armbands while there will be a moment’s silence before play starts at Adelaide Oval. Flags at the ground will be flown at half-mast.

“This is a tragic time for all Australians and the thoughts of everyone in the cricket world are with the victims of this terrible event, their families, friends and the Jewish community,” said Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg.

“While sport can seem insignificant at times like this, we have the unusual opportunity to bring millions of people together to pay tribute, to console and to contemplate what we want our nation to be.”

Big Bash League games in Sydney this week will go ahead as planned, with the Sixers playing at the SCG on Wednesday evening and the Thunder at Engie Stadium on Saturday, with victims and those affected by the attacks to be recognised.

Cricket NSW said additional safety and access arrangements will be put in place for those games, while fans heading to Adelaide Oval have been reassured that there is no increased threat level, but extra security will be put in place in and around the ground as a precautionary measure.

South Australia Police Commissioner, Grant Stevens, said special security-response police armed with rifles will be present at the third Ashes Test starting on Wednesday but fans should not be alarmed.

“There’s no intelligence at this time to indicate that there are any increased levels of threat or security risks around the cricket or any other community event,” he said. “But notwithstanding that, we apply a level of diligence to make sure that people attending can do so with that confidence that they are attending a safe and well-managed event.”

Guardian