NEW DELHI: Australian cricket star Steven Smith has officially inked a deal with
Major League Cricket
(
MLC
) franchise
Washington Freedom
ahead of the upcoming second season, set to commence on July 4.
Smith's move to join the Washington-based team was widely anticipated, considering his previous role as a brand ambassador for Freedom and his expressed interest in playing cricket in the USA.
The cricketer, who already owns an apartment in New York, expressed his enthusiasm about the opportunity, describing it as "pretty cool" to be part of the burgeoning cricket scene in America.
The partnership between Smith's domestic team,
New South Wales
(NSW), and Freedom likely played a pivotal role in facilitating this move, despite recent coaching changes within the NSW setup.
As Smith gears up for his MLC debut, he faces the challenge of securing a spot in
Australia
's final squad for the
T20 World Cup
. His opportunities in T20 cricket have been limited since his remarkable return to the
Big Bash League
(BBL) with the
Sydney Sixers
in the 2022-23 season, during which he amassed 346 runs at an impressive strike rate of 174.74.
Smith has featured in only two T20Is in India, two matches in the last BBL season, and two games against New Zealand in February, where he batted as an opener, scoring 11 and 4 runs, respectively.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his international future, Smith remains composed and focused, stating his readiness to accept whatever decision comes his way.
With a successful stint in the Big Bash League and a strong desire to leave a mark on the global stage, Smith is determined to make the most of this new chapter in his cricketing journey.
(With IANS inputs)
English (US) ·