Pat Cummins makes no apologies for climate change hypocrisy, compares himself to Steve Jobs
is refusing to back down from his crusade despite claims of hypocrisy as the Aussie cricket captain continues to polarise fans and influential figures. The 29-year-old superstar quick has also slammed claims he was one of the key reasons Cricket didn't renew their $40million sponsorship with energy giant Alinta. The company stood by the game's governing body during its darkest times following the South African ball-tampering scandal and Tim Paine's sexting drama, but will no longer be a partner. Cricket Australia insists that at no point did any conversation between men's captain Pat Cummins and CA CEO Nick Hockley influence Alinta's decision to finish its sponsorship deal in June 2023. As Cummins and the Aussie side prepare to embark on a daunting tour of , which begins with a Test on February 9, the skipper has once again poured fuel on the climate change fire. Cummins said he will continue to share beliefs he is 'passionate about' and thinks he 'can make a difference with', before rubbishing claims he was part of the $40million sponsorship row. He even bizarrely compared himself to the man many would regard as one of the world's greatest-ever tech visionaries, Apple wiz Steve Jobs. 'It (being responsible for Alinta's sponsorship not being renewed) was complete rubbish. The nature of the position I am in you do get dragged into different things,' he told the . 'I am not doing things to please absolutely everyone. Steve Jobs said he would go and sell ice cream if he wanted to do that.' Just why Cummins believes his desire to share his views on climate change compares to the man who revolutionsed the computer industry and life as we know it with the iPhone remains to be seen. Either way, it's clear he won't stop pushing for what he feels is right. That's despite pointing out last year that he drives a petrol-guzzling Range Rover that is worth well in excess of $100,000. In 2020, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy listed Range Rovers as one of the 12 environmentally 'meanest' rides on the road due to their carbon emissions. Cummins flies first-class all over the world, despite a 2013 World Bank study finding the carbon footprint of first-class air passengers was up to seven times bigger than those in economy. He also has a partnership with a Chinese solar energy company, Longi, that has been implicated in slave labour. Aside from his $2million-a-year contract with Cricket Australia, Cummins has long been a corporate darling, and has a net worth estimated at an astonishing $63million. He insists no one 'is perfect' despite having the means to make what would be an incredibly easy change to a car with much less of a carbon footprint. Cummins says his generation 'can't leave values at the door'. 'Just because no-one is going to be absolutely perfect does not mean we all throw our hands together and blow up,' he said. 'If you start from the starting point that maybe we can all do one thing a little better that is a good thing. 'I don't think I shout it from the rooftops. I just try and do a lot myself to make little changes in my life if I can. 'If I can make a little bit of difference through my actions or Cricket for Climate, I am not too bothered by people picking holes in it.' Some cricket fans would prefer he focus on the game rather than marketing and PR. Others believe climate change is the most pressing issue facing the world today, and vocal advocates of bringing down emissions should do whatever they can to try and make a difference. It's not the only controversial socio-political issue Cummins wanted to highlight. Amid a fierce debate on whether Australia Day should be celebrated on January 26 at all, and whether cricket should be played, Cummins has also thrown his support behind Indigenous star Ash Gardner. Gardner, the world's No.1-ranked allrounder, is preparing to play with the Aussie women's side against Pakistan on the national holiday, but said it 'didn't sit well' with her. 'As a proud Muruwari woman and reflecting on what January 26 means to me and my people, it is a day of hurt and mourning,' she posted on social media on Sunday. 'For those who don't have a good understanding of what the day means, it was the beginning of genocide, massacres and dispossession. 'Unfortunately this year the Australian women's cricket team has been scheduled to play a game on the 26th of January, which certainly doesn't sit well with me as an individual, but also all the people I'm representing,' Gardner wrote. Cummins threw his support behind the Aussie star, as debate swirls ahead of Thursday's holiday. 'I feel for Ash. It is a tough situation. It is a tough day for many in Australia,' he said. It comes as male Indigenous star Dan Christian applauded Gardner's courage amidst a wave of controversy and racist responses on social media. 'Well done Ash Gardner for using your platform as an Australian cricketer and proud Aboriginal woman, to promote conversation in the hope our MPs, can make meaningful improvements to the systemic and cyclical issues affecting our people. Changing the date can be a start,' Christian wrote on social media. The Aussie women will play Pakistan in the second match of a three-game series on Australia Day in Hobart, while Cummins and his men will head to India with just seven days preparation on the subcontinent ahead of the first Test on February 9.