Australia captain Pat Cummins has signed a four-year contract to play in the American franchise T20 tournament with the San Francisco Unicorns; the fast bowler joins compatriot Jake Fraser-McGurk.
Wednesday, June 5, 2024, 07:12, UK. Australia’s Pat Cummins (Associated Press.) Pat Cummins has signed a four-year contract with MLC team San Francisco Unicorns.
Pat Cummins has signed a four-year contract with the San Francisco Unicorns, marking a significant coup for America’s budding Major League Cricket T20 tournament. The second season of MLC begins on July 5, less than a week after the T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States and the West Indies, ends.
Cummins will join compatriot Jake Fraser-McGurk at the Unicorns, following fellow Australians Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head, and Steve Smith into the league.
Cummins, Australia’s Test and ODI captain, said in a statement that MLC is rapidly rising and that the US market has enormous cricket potential. “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.”
Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, co-own the Unicorns.
Cummins is a well-known cricketer who has won the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup for Australia last year. He excels in all three formats.
MLC was granted List A recognition by the International Cricket Council this month, establishing it as a recognised T20 league alongside the Indian Premier League and other existing franchise competitions.
MLC organisers intend to increase the six-team competition to ten in the following years.
