Steven Smith joins Major League Cricket team Washington Freedom

New York: Australian cricket star Steven Smith has officially signed with Major League Cricket (MLC) franchise Washington Freedom ahead of the second season starting on July 4.

His move comes as no surprise given his previous role as a brand ambassador for the Freedoms and his expressed interest in playing in the United States. Smith, who owns an apartment in New York, expressed excitement about the opportunity and described it as “great” to be a part of the growing cricket scene in the US.

Despite coaching changes within the NSW setup, the high-performance partnership between Smith’s home team, New South Wales (NSW) and the Freedoms likely played a role in facilitating the move.

As Smith prepares for his MLC debut, he faces the challenge of making his way into Australia’s final squad for the T20 World Cup. After getting limited opportunities in T20 cricket recently, since his impressive comeback in the BBL for Sydney Sixers in the 2022-23 season, where he scored 346 runs at a strike rate of 174.74, Smith has played two T20s in India, Two matches in the last BBL of the season and a series of matches against New Zealand in February, where he scored 11 and 4 while opening the batting.

Despite the uncertainty over his international future, Smith remains focused and relaxed, stating that he is ready for whatever decision comes his way with his successful stint in the Big Bash League and his desire to make an impact on the global stage.

–IANS