How Pat Cummins’ love for hipster beer that’s a competitor to alcohol and soft drinks could put him out of business with one of Cricket Australia’s biggest sponsors
- Pat Cummins is the new face of Kombucha maker Nexba
- Known for being a big fan of the trendy drink.
- Deal creates potential conflict with rival sponsor
Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins has been announced as the face of kombucha producer Nexba in a move that could upset one of Cricket Australia’s main sponsors.
Cummins, 30, is not shy when it comes to downing Nexba’s hipster ale and unlike many other Australian cricket greats such as the late Shane Warne or batsman David Boon, he had a pint as soon as they were in the dressing room the quick one with the right arm prefers a fermented sweetened black or green tea to quench his thirst.
The patron was seen enjoying the hipster drink during the Ashes series in his homeland in 2021, but to complicate matters, Cummins is also a Gatorade brand ambassador.
Owned by PepsiCo, the US sports drink brand is associated with Cricket Australia and often uses clean-cut Cummins for its marketing.
Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins is the new face of Nexba, which produces the hipster beer Kombucha
Cummins, 30, was happy to become a brand ambassador as he wants to promote a healthy lifestyle, but complicating matters is the fact that Gatorade is a major sponsor of Cricket Australia.
After extending its deal with CA in October 2021, Cummins was happy to spray the famous sports drink.
“We all put in an incredible amount of hard work behind the scenes to perform at our best, and Gatorade is such an integral part before, during and after the game,” the skipper said at the time.
“I am very excited to be a part of the Gatorade family and can’t wait to help jumpstart the broad grassroots cricket initiatives.”
But according to Sydney Morning HeraldCummins’ new deal with Nexba probably won’t leave PepsiCo executives excited.
As his Australian team chase victory at Ashes, the pacer said he was delighted to be associated with an organization like Nexba that promotes a healthy lifestyle.
“Good health and wellness have always been an important part of my life,” Cummins said.
The late Shane Warne (pictured) enjoys a drink from a bottle of champagne after he was mocked by England fans at Old Trafford during an Ashes tour in the 1990s.
Australian pacemaker Dennis Lillee is shown having a drink back in his playing days in what has become an iconic image, but Cummins likes to quench his thirst in a very different way.
“Partnering with Nexba and Goodness Group Global allows me to extend that passion and make a real impact in people’s lives by promoting healthier alternatives to artificially sweetened and sugary beverages.”
The drinks deal is another example of Cummins challenging what was traditionally expected of the Australia cricket captain in moves that have seen him labeled a “woke”.
He ignited a firestorm of controversy last year when he apparently forced Cricket Australia to end a $40m sponsorship with power provider Alinta, to which he had “ethical objections”.
Both Cricket Australia and the captain have vehemently denied that was the case, but that hasn’t stopped fans, former greats, pundits and even politicians from accusing him of double standards given that he drives a carbon-guzzling Range Rover, it flies first class around the world and has a partnership with a Chinese solar energy company, Longi, which has been implicated in slave labor.
In January this year, Cummins said he would continue to share the beliefs he is “passionate about” and believes he “can make a difference”, before dismissing claims he was part of Alinta’s ranks and comparing himself to the Apple founder.
“I’m not doing things to please absolutely everyone,” he said.
“Steve Jobs said he would go sell ice cream if he wanted to do that.”
