The San Francisco Unicorns, led by Australian captain Pat Cummins, will be adding a big boost to Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024. The 31-year-old speedster is no stranger to the United States; he recently competed in the USA and West Indies T20 World Cup.
With a four-year contract in place, Cummins has demonstrated his strong commitment to the San Francisco Unicorns. Given that Cummins has only ever participated in the Indian Premier League (IPL), he has little experience in international T20 leagues, making this transfer especially notable. In this edition of the lucrative league, the right-arm bowler claimed 18 wickets in 16 games at an average of 31.44 and an economy of 9.27.
Due mostly to his international obligations, he did not play in Australia’s domestic T20 competition, the Big Bash League, until the 2018–19 season.
For the Unicorns, who have struggled this season with only one victory in three games, Cummins’ arrival couldn’t come at a better time. The pacer has been playing quite well lately, as seen by his remarkable back-to-back hat-tricks in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
When he led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the IPL final, his leadership qualities were also evident. Cummins is expected to greatly enhance the Unicorns’ bowling arsenal with his outstanding T20 record of 172 wickets in 151 appearances at an average of 26.66 and an economy rate of 8.11.
With the arrival of the Australian captain, West Indies all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford leaves the team since he is unable to play in the MLC because of a family bereavement. The dynamics and strategy of the club will probably change as a result of this personnel change in the next games.
Other clubs have also made roster changes: the Texas Super Kings have added Ottneil Baartman in place of Gerald Coetzee (injury), and the Seattle Orcas have added Lungi Ngidi in place of Wayne Parnell (player withdrawal).
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