Pat Cummins, the ABC’s new woke hero: Broadcaster allows World Cup-winning captain to dodge climate change hypocrisy questions in fawning interview

Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins has lashed out at criticism that he is a ‘woke far-left catastrophist clown’ as he doubled down on his left-wing views and defiantly said he would ‘not pander to a loud minority’.

It’s been a year since the high-profile climate crusader sparked a public outcry when he reportedly raised concerns about Cricket’s $40 million Australian sponsorship deal with Alinta Energy.

Critics have pointed out that Cummins was flying first class and driving one of the world’s most polluting luxury vehicles at about the same time: a Range Rover.

Cummins also made headlines when he led Aussies teammates in taking a knee during the Black Lives Matter movement during their 2021 West Indies tour and publicly supported the Indigenous Voice in Parliament before the referendum failed in October.

Cummins was not asked directly by host Sarah Ferguson if he explained the contradiction of pushing for climate change while flying first class and driving a gas-guzzling Range Rover. Instead, she asked a question about whether he was “awake” in a soft-spoken interview on ABC’S Tuesday 7:30 am.

Instead, he was asked whether the backlash made him regret being so outspoken about controversial issues, or whether it was just plain water.

“It certainly makes you pause and think about whether what you’re doing and how you’re going about it is the right way,” Cummins said.

“It makes you change, or it probably reinforced some of my beliefs that this is a good thing.”

“You know, if I don’t stay strong on this and give in to a vocal minority, that’s not a good thing.”

Ferguson also asked whether Cummins considered himself a “leader for our times”, as described by former Australian Wallaby Test star turned outspoken climate activist and independent senator David Pocock.

“I contacted David Pocock this morning to ask him about you, obviously another sporting hero, and someone you’ve worked with on climate change initiatives,” Ferguson began.

“So I asked him what his opinion of you was. He said this, he said, ‘He is a leader of our time. He knows how to be a great guy under a lot of pressure.

“It should give Australians a little extra pride that he’s representing Australia.

A humbled Cummins responded, “It’s probably not for me to say.”

‘I just try to be myself every day and enjoy the role of working with other people and trying to get the best out of them.

Last year, Cummins reportedly raised “ethical concerns” about Alinta Energy’s sponsorship of the cricket team due to its carbon pollution.

Cummins was once featured in a TV ad campaign for the brand’s call centers, where he answered a phone call while doing yoga.

Critics of the captain include 2GB broadcaster Ben Fordham and former federal opposition leader Mark Latham led the response as Cummins distanced himself from his team’s main sponsor.

But Cummins said last night he was standing by his strong views on the environment and climate change.

“I think as an adult you start to form a different opinion about how you see the world differently than you did when you were a kid, and you start to think for yourself,” Cummins said.

“Maybe it happens more often when you’re a captain and you’re more in the public eye, but I don’t think it’s anything new.

‘I think there are always problems in the world. They have always been there. It might just be these issues and the way they’re being dealt with is a little bit different than they were 20, 30, 40 years ago.”

Cummins was also asked whether he would consider entering politics after retirement, like his good friend Pocock.

“I mean, you never say never, but probably not. No. I’ll leave that to David and a lot of other great people,” he said.

Elsewhere in the interview, Cummins was asked about Australia’s victorious World Cup campaign, where they defeated tournament hosts and red-hot favorites India in the final.

He defended his tactic of not batting first after winning the toss, a gamble that shocked many.

“There’s a lot of conventional wisdom that doesn’t really align with the results,” Cummins explained.

“I think the last five ODI finals have been won by the team that bowled first, the same goes for the T20 World Cup finals.

“I went in feeling it was going to be a bit of a tricky wicket during the day, so I put pressure on them to set the total and backed ourselves to chase it down when the wicket is a bit better at night.”

Cummins also spoke about his late mother Maria, who lost her battle with breast cancer earlier this year.

“I think about her every day and she is huge part of who I am,” he said.

“I hope and I’m sure she would have been very proud.”