Pat Cummins joins MLC bandwagon, to play for San Francisco Unicorns

Australian pacer Pat Cummins is all set to feature in the second season of Major League Cricket (MLC) for San Fransisco Unicorns. It's a massive signing for the US-based league, which is making quick headways into the cricketing ecosystem.

According to Cricbuzz, Cummins will replace Aaron Finch as the Unicorns' captain. His captaincy credentials are over the roof after leading Australia to the ODI World Cup, the World Test Championship, and most recently, SunRisers Hyderabad to the final of IPL 2024. He has also evolved brilliantly as a T20 bowler.

Several Australian players are already part of the MLC, including Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Spencer Johnson, Steve Smith, and Jake Fraser Mcgurk. A few more, like T20I captain Mitchell Marsh, are expected to join them soon. Former captain Ricky Ponting will also join Washington Freedom as head coach.

The Aussie interest in the competition seems to be hinging on the lighter workload. The second season will begin just five days after the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup in the US and the West Indies but will last only three weeks.

It is the perfect holiday tournament for cricketers who don't want to play competitions like the T20 Blast which sometimes runs for months, nor dip their feet in the T10 world while taking all the benefits of franchise leagues.

"Mandatory" for SRH to retain Pat Cummins says Aakash Chopra

Recently, former India batter Aakash Chopra said Cummins should be SRH's first retention ahead of IPL 2025

"It's absolutely mandatory to retain Pat Cummins because there are 10 teams in the IPL, and you don't get a captain. You have to go shopping for a captain and too many Indian names aren't available, and those who are there aren't released. So it is going to be an interesting one. Can you convince Pat Cummins for three more years?" Chopra said on his YouTube channel (3:15).

The Unicorns will begin their campaign against LA Knight Riders on Saturday, July 8.