Cricket

Pat Cummins, the Australian Test and ODI captain, has made a groundbreaking move by signing a four-year contract with the San Francisco Unicorns of Major League Cricket (MLC). This marks a significant departure for Cummins, who has previously only played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) overseas and has not featured in Australia's Big Bash League since 2018-19.Cummins' decision to join the MLC is a testament to the growing stature of the league and the potential of cricket in the United States. "MLC is developing at a rapid rate, and the US market potential is huge for cricket," Cummins said. "While cricket is integral to my involvement, the global network and long-term possibilities offered by the owners specifically, and Silicon Valley more broadly, presented a unique opportunity for me and my life beyond cricket."The MLC is set to take place from July 6 to 29 this year, and Cummins' availability for Australia's tour of the West Indies in June-July next year remains uncertain. However, he does not lead in T20I cricket, so his participation in the MLC could be possible.Cummins will be joined at the San Francisco Unicorns by fellow Australian Jake Fraser-McGurk. Other high-profile signings for the 2024 MLC season include Shakib Al Hasan (Los Angeles Knight Riders), David Miller (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Anrich Nortje (MI New York), Romario Shepherd (MI New York), Aiden Markram (Texas Super Kings), Daryl Mitchell (Texas Super Kings), Nandre Burger (Seattle Orcas), and Obed McCoy (Seattle Orcas).In its second season, the MLC has acquired List A status from the ICC, making it an official T20 league with records counting towards official T20 statistics. This is a significant step for the league and further enhances its credibility.

The Hundred, England's premier domestic T20 competition, faces a scheduling clash with Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States, potentially depriving the tournament of several overseas stars.MLC's inaugural season concluded two days before the Hundred's launch last year, but this year, the leagues will overlap by six days in July. The Hundred's group stage commences on July 23, while MLC runs until the final on July 28, with knockout fixtures starting on July 24.Twelve of the 24 overseas players contracted in the men's Hundred have already been announced as signings or retentions in MLC, and more could follow. Most of these players will remain in the US until their respective MLC franchises are eliminated.Stephen Fleming, coach of Southern Brave in the Hundred and Texas Super Kings in MLC, is expected to prioritize the Hundred, ensuring his arrival in the UK before Brave's opening match on July 24.Depending on the MLC playoff participants, some Hundred teams could be without multiple overseas players for their opening fixtures. Southern Brave, for instance, could miss Kieron Pollard, Akeal Hosein, and Finn Allen, who are all playing in MLC.MLC's player salaries surpassed those of the Hundred last year, with the top salary reaching approximately £135,000 for a minimum of five games. In contrast, the Hundred's top salary was £125,000 for a minimum of eight games.The Hundred's opening week will likely lack star power due to the clash with the third England vs West Indies Test at Edgbaston. Availability is better in the women's Hundred, with only a brief overlap with the Asia Cup.MLC begins on July 5 and features a 21-match group stage, with each team playing seven fixtures. The knockout stage includes an Eliminator, Qualifier, Challenger, and final.MLC has attracted several Australian players this year, including Steven Smith, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, and Jake Fraser-McGurk. Two MLC franchises have ties to Australian states, while a Seattle Orcas squad recently toured Queensland.The ECB's plan to sell equity stakes in Hundred teams to private investors aims to attract top overseas players. The ECB hopes to gift a 51% share in each team to its host county and sell the remaining 49% by the end of the year, sharing the revenue across the English game.

Steven Smith, the former Australian captain, has officially signed with the Washington Freedom franchise for the upcoming season of Major League Cricket (MLC). The move was widely anticipated, as Smith had previously signed as a brand ambassador for Freedom and Australia's international schedule allows him to participate in the tournament through July.Smith's signing is a significant boost for Freedom, who have a high-performance partnership with Smith's domestic team in Australia, New South Wales (NSW). In 2023, several NSW players, including Moises Henriques, Tanveer Sangha, and Ben Dwarshuis, were part of Freedom's squad.Smith, who owns an apartment in New York, has expressed his excitement about playing in the USA. However, he faces a challenge in earning a spot in Australia's final 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup in June, as he has not played much T20 cricket recently.Despite his limited T20 appearances, Smith remains a highly respected and experienced player. He has a prolific record in the Big Bash League (BBL) for the Sydney Sixers, where he made 346 runs at a strike rate of 174.74 in the 2022-23 season.Smith's signing joins a growing list of Australian players who have committed to MLC, including Adam Zampa (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Spencer Johnson (Knight Riders), and Tim David (MI New York). The tournament is expected to attract more Australian players after the T20 World Cup ends on June 29.