MLC 2024: Boult, Rashid, Klaasen, and Pooran are among the 23 overseas retentions

23 players have been identified by Major League Cricket (MLC) as those who will be kept in the league for its second season.

Four days after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup, which the USA and the West Indies are co-hosting, the second season is scheduled to begin on July 4, 2024. The World Cup and the Hundred provide a good window of time that the league has determined. Top international teams like England, Pakistan, Australia, and New Zealand won’t have any white-ball assignments during that period, so players from those nations could take part in the competition.

The batting core of MI New York, which includes Tim David, Dewald Brevis, Trent Boult, and Kagiso Rabada, has been retained. Rashid Khan, Trent Boult, and Kieron Pollard will continue to lead the bowling attack.

The South African trio of Wayne Parnell, Quinton de Kock, and Heinrich Klaasen has continued to play with the Seattle Orcas, last season’s runners-up. Imad Wasim, an all-rounder for Pakistan who just announced his retirement from international cricket, has also been kept on by the team.

Faf du Plessis, a former captain of the Chennai Super Kings and current captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, will lead the Texas Super Kings. The Kiwi team of Mitchell Santner and Devon Conway will accompany him.

Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, two legendary Kolkata Knight Riders, have remained with the LA Knight Riders, who finished last in the league. The skilled left-arm fast Spencer Johnson and seasoned Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa will also be wearing their jerseys.

Finn Allen (San Francisco Unicorns) has been kept in form after he recently broke a world record with a century against Pakistan. Their availability for their second retention, pacer Haris Rauf, won’t be as simple, though, as the player has had his fair share of difficulties getting NoCs from overseas competitions.

All-rounder Marco Jansen of South Africa and spinner Akeal Hosein of the West Indies have joined Ricky Ponting’s Washington Freedom.

The teams are permitted to include nine foreign players on their rosters. For international players, there won’t be a draft. In order to acquire more players from abroad, teams are expected to get in touch with the players on their wishlist. Prior to the domestic draft in March, the domestic retentions are anticipated to be verified by the end of February.