- Cummins and wife Becky Boston had the best seats in the house
- Aussie skipper on holiday after T20 World Cup disappointment
Being captain of the world cricket Test and 50-over champions has its perks, like receiving an invitation to the Royal Box at Wimbledon.
Thus while India brought home the T20 World Cup, the only trophy to elude Cummins’ team, to a crowd of thousands thronging the streets of Mumbai, Pat Cummins got over Australia’s early exit in the Caribbean by watching tennis at the fabled Centre Court.
While most of his compatriots, led by Alex de Minaur, were slogging it out on the outside courts, Cummins was in London SW19 where the main showcourt line-up was a trio of champions, Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and Andy Murray.
Wife Becky, who Pat married in 2022, was alongside the Australian skipper.
As the name suggests, the box often houses members of the Royal Family, notably the Princess of Wales, patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
While Kate did not attend on the same day as Cummins and Boston amid her cancer diagnosis, her parents, Michael and Carole, made a special appearance.
It follows their cheerful appearance at Royal Ascot last month, when they joined members of the Royal Family, including their son-in-law Prince William, at the lavish occasion.
Also in the box on day four were TV adventurer Bear Grylls and his wife Shara, as well as Olympics legend turned London 2012 games mastermind and former British MP Sebastian Coe.
The Aussie skipper and wife Becky were dressed to the nines for their appearance in some of the most hotly sought-after seats at Wimbledon
Despite the disappointment of Australia crashing out of the T20 World Cup, the Test skipper was all smiles as he watched Novak Djokovic win on centre court
Pictured in the Wimbledon Royal Box: 1. Michael Middleton 2. Carole Middleton 3. Sebastian Coe 4. Shara Grylls 5. Bear Grylls 6. Pat Cummins
Perhaps appropriately, with the destroyer of so many English sporting dreams in the house, it was a bad day for British tennis.
Murray, at his last Wimbledon, was playing with brother Andy against Australian duo John Peers and Rinky Hijikata. Despite huge support for the Murray brothers from the crowd, the Aussies won this tennis Ashes clash in straight sets.
Djokovic was also playing a Brit, qualifier Jacob Fearnley, and dispatched him in four sets.
Cummins’ appearance, suited, booted and wearing shades, brought much admiration on social media, including suggestions he should be the next James Bond.
Maybe that was something he could discuss with survivalist Bear Grylls, who was also in the box, as was Britain’s former Olympic middle-distance champion Seb Coe, now President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), who was sat in the row in front.
