The Major League Cricket (MLC) unit, Washington Freedom have announced one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Steve Smith as their ambassador.
In this new partnership, Smith will assist in promoting the team. The Australian currently is busy in the UK facing the Englishmen in the Ashes 2023 series. The right-handed batter is now one of the key men for the World Test Championship (WTC) champions in this series as he has the greatest average for any batter after 100 Tests.
Just a day before MLC kicks off, he will now provide his athletic stature, knowledge, and unmatched passion to the club representing the US capital as an ambassador.
Team Founder and Owner, Sanjay Govil, said, “As a team and as a new league, we have not only an opportunity but a duty to grow American cricket. Bringing Steve to help promote the team will undeniably help us do this. He’s a true great of the game and a fantastic person, who is respected the world over. Smith joins as part of our sporting partnership with Cricket New South Wales, with players and coaches also moving on to our roster for our debut MLC campaign.”
Freedom General Manager, Michael Klinger, said, “This is a huge moment for us and we look forward to Steve spreading the word about Washington Freedom to all his fans. Organisationally, Steve has been part of Cricket NSW from Pathway levels until now and our system has seen him develop into the man he is today. The Washington Freedom and Steve Smith relationship is one we would like to continue to develop in years to come.
“He’s a great player in all formats of the game, and you only need to look at his performances in the Big Bash League for the Sydney Sixers [where he averaged 86.50 and scored at a strike rate of 174] to see his commitment to the shorter form. This is another sign that together Major League Cricket and Washington Freedom mean business.”
Washington Freedom will begin their MLC campaign against Seattle Orcas on Saturday i.e. July 15 at 6 AM IST. The team has Moises Henriques as their leader with Anrich Nortje, Glenn Phillips and Marco Jansen as top players.