Ashish Ranjan
Steve Smith, a fiery batsman from Australia, is likely to be in the running for the second season of the Major League Cricket (MLC) in 2024. Notably, the inaugural season of the MLC will begin on Friday, July 14, when the Texas Super Kings face the Los Angeles Knight Riders at the Texas Grand Prairie Stadium.
Smith is the Washington Freedom’s brand ambassador, as the franchise has a high-performance partnership with New South Wales, which is owned by the entrepreneur Sanjay Govil, Michael Klinger, and Greg Shipperd. In addition, the director of male cricket and the head coach of the NSW hold comparable positions within the MLC franchise.
Michael Klinger, a former Australian cricketer and co-owner of the MLC franchise, discussed Steve Smith’s relationship with the New South Wales and how he and Moises Henriques can promote the Washington Freedom in the future years.
“Steve Smith has an intimate relationship with New South Wales and Sydney Sixers. He had five fantastic games in the previous BBL season, so it’s wonderful to have him on board as a team ambassador. He will significantly enhance the reputation of the Washington Freedom, Klinger told ESPNcricinfo.
“Some of his closest friends from New South Wales, such as [captain] Moises Henriques, are playing in the team, and it will be wonderful for us to be able to promote the Freedom with someone of Steve’s stature. We surely hope it’s a long-term partnership, but we’ll have to wait and see,” he added.
Have a few New South Wales athletes we’d be interested in speaking with: Michael Klinger
Klinger added that he expects to convince a few prominent NSW players to join the Washington Freedom for the upcoming MLC season.
“There are a few extremely talented New South Wales players with whom we would be keen in speaking. There are [Mitchell] Starc, [Pat] Cummins, and [Josh] Hazlewood on your roster. Now, Sean Abbott is a member of this group. We have some really excellent options for next year in addition to our current high-profile overseas players – hopefully we can retain some of them,” Klinger said.
It is notable that Ben Dwarshuis, Moises Henriques, and Josh Philippe will represent NSW in the inaugural MLC tournament. On Saturday, July 15, Washington plays Seattle Orcas in their first match of the season.
