“This is a big one” - Fans react as Steve Smith becomes captain of Washington Freedom for MLC 2024
Former Australian skipper Steve Smith has been appointed as the captain of the Washington Freedom for the second season of Major League Cricket (MLC). The news was announced by the team on their X account on July 3, 2024.
The league's second edition is scheduled to start on July 5, following a successful inaugural season. The tournament's opening matchup pits the Seattle Orcas, the runners-up from the previous season, against defending champions MI New York.
Steve Smith replaces his Australian teammate Moises Henriques as the captain of the Washington Freedom. The Freedom squad will face MI New York in their tournament opener and will be looking to start on a positive note under their new captain.
Fans have taken to X to react to the news and are excited to see Steven Smith in this new role. Here are some of the reactions:
"Finally treating him the way he deserves to. Thank you Washington Freedom," a fan commented.
"Captain America [cross mark emoji] Captain of America [tick emoji]," wrote another.
One fan predicted that Smith would take his team to the title and be the leading run-scorer.
"Smudge title winning captain while being top scorer of the team," a fan predicted.
Along with Steve Smith, Washington Freedom will have the services of big players, including Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Marco Jansen, and Lockie Ferguson.
Steve Smith was not included in Australia’s 2024 T20 World Cup squad
The right-handed batter was not included in Australia’s squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. This decision surprised many, as former Australian captain Mark Taylor opined that ignoring Smith was the wrong call, given the skills set he has and the conditions in the Caribbean.
The 2021 T20 World Cup champions started the tournament well by winning all their group-stage matches. However, their fortune changes in the Super-Eights. Mitchell Marsh’s team lost to India and Afghanistan and failed to qualify for the semifinals of the 2024 T20 World Cup.