Steve Smith to Return for a Short Stint in the Major League Cricket This Season

Australian star batter and former skipper Steve Smith has been confirmed to play in Major League Cricket this season. He will make a short cameo appearance in MLC due to Australia’s tight Test schedule and will be available for just two matches.

Smith captained the Washington Freedom in the second season of America’s top cricket league and led them to the title. He will be playing for the same team in the third season as well, but his stay this time will be brief. He is expected to be available for the matches against LA Knight Riders in Oakland on June 17 and MI New York in Dallas on June 21.

Talking to Forbes, Washington Freedom’s manager and former Australian player Michael Klinger said, “It’s great to have Steve Smith again with us this season, albeit only for probably two matches. That continuity is really important for us. He was a fantastic leader for us last year, a big reason why we won. Hopefully, he will be part of the Washington Freedom setup for many years to come.”

There were huge doubts over Smith’s participation in this season’s MLC. Smith is an integral part of the Australian Test side, and the upcoming tight schedule makes it almost impossible for him to play franchise cricket.

Australia will play the World Test Championship Final against South Africa from June 11–15, with a reserve day as well. After that, they will be traveling to the West Indies to play three Tests and five T20Is, with the first Test starting on June 25.

Smith’s return to MLC, even for just two games, will be a huge boost for the tournament, which has already missed out on big names like Pat Cummins, Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Marco Jansen, and Ryan Rickelton due to national duties.

Washington Freedom have added some good reinforcements to their lineups, with Australian allrounder Mitchell Owen expected to be a direct substitute for Smith. They already have experienced quicks Jason Behrendorff and Ben Sears in their squad.

However, Freedom are yet to name the new captain as Smith won’t be available for most of the season. They will play their first match of the season against San Francisco Unicorns at the iconic ground of Oakland Coliseum on June 12.