MLC: Cricket wins in America as Australia captain Pat Cummins signs for San Francisco Unicorns

Cricket seems to be winning big time in the USA, as Australia’s ODI and Test captain Pat Cummins has signed for San Franciso Unicorns for the second season of Major League Cricket (MLC). With the franchise sharing a strategic relationship with Victoria’s first-class set-up, Cummins’ signing is a bumper one, with the 31-year-old likely to lead the side following Aaron Finch’s retirement.

Up and running since the New Zealand Tour earlier in February, Cummins would ply his trade in USA’s franchise-based T20 League, starting almost five days after the end of the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup in the Americas.

Almost new to franchise cricket, Cummins enjoyed his stint with SunRisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024, where he led the team to the finals in his maiden attempt as a T20 skipper.

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Cummins' signing reflects MLC’s growing eminence in world cricket just after one season and how far it's willing to go. Cummins will join some of the Aussie A-Listers like Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Spencer Johnson, Steve Smith and Jake Fraser McGurk, with T20I captain Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis and others likely to follow.

Meanwhile, the second season of MLC will begin on July 5, with defending champions MI New York taking on Seattle Orcas in the repeat of last year’s final and Texas Super Kings facing LA Knight Riders in a home game later in the doubleheader.

Cummins’ rise

Australia’s bowling mainstay since the start of the last decade, Pat Cummins, took over the captaincy in the longer formats in 2022, guiding Australia to massive heights since.

In 2023, Cummins-led Australia beat India in the second World Test Championship (WTC) Final at the Oval before they drew the away Ashes 2-2.

A few months later in the 50-over World Cup in India, Cummins guided Australia to their record sixth title, beating the hosts by six wickets in the final in Ahmedabad. The seamer had a cheerful home season before joining SRH as their new captain.

Leading for the first time in T20 cricket, Cummins didn’t put a foot wrong and led his team to their first final in over five years. Although they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders in the title match, Cummins earned praise from all across for his daring and smart captaincy.

The lanky fast bowler will play in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA. Australia is placed in Group B alongside old foes England, Scotland, Namibia and Oman.

Australia will open its campaign against Oman on June 6.