Former Australia captain Aaron Finch and ex-South Africa skipper Quinton de Kock are among the first overseas names for Major League Cricket's inaugural season.
The pair were among six non-domestic players assigned during Sunday's draft at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Australia duo Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh, along with South Africa's Anrich Nortje and Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga were also included as overseas participants.
Major League Cricket – the first professional T20 league in the United States – will consist of six franchises in its debut year, as cricket looks to build a foothold in the country.
The ICC are hopeful the sport will be included in the 2028 Olympic Games, to be held in Los Angeles, where one of the half-dozen teams will be based.
Finch, who retired from T20Is in February, will captain San Francisco Unicorns, where he will be joined by compatriot Stoinis and England's Liam Plunkett, who qualifies as a domestic player through his American wife.
The pace bowler, who was a member of the successful England team from the 2019 Cricket World Cup, previously played in Minor League Cricket, the developmental league for MLC.
De Kock is set to play for Seattle Orcas alongside Marsh, while Nortje and Hasaranga will turn out for Washington Freedom.
The three remaining sides – Texas Super Kings, Los Angeles Knight Riders and MI New York – are yet to add an overseas player, though each drafted nine US-based players on Sunday.
The tournament will take place over three weeks at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas between July 13 and 30.
Salt confirmed as England wicketkeeper despite Buttler return for West Indies T20Is
Phil Salt will be wicketkeeper in England’s upcoming T20I series against West Indies as white-ball captain Jos Buttler looks to improve his captaincy.
Buttler has been ruled out with a calf strain but will return to England's squad for the five-match T20I series that begins on Saturday.
Until now, Salt has kept in just 13 of his 59 England appearances across all formats but has taken up the mantle for the ongoing ODI series against West Indies.
Buttler, on the other hand, has donned the gloves in 106 of his 108 T20Is.
Salt, though, is enjoying his new role.
"It's not something I've done a lot for England recently, but I enjoy keeping. I feel like that's where I offer most to the side," Salt said, as reported by ESPN.
"We've not had a chat about anything going forward. I'm just glad to be doing it at the moment."
While Salt is not guaranteed the gloves after this series, he will find comfort in Buttler's intent to optimise his captaincy by experimenting with a role in the field.
"I was going to give up the gloves and commit to being at mid-off and see how that felt. If it will help me with my captaincy it is something I am open to," Buttler told Sky Sports in September after being ruled out of the T20 series against Australia.
England are tied 1-1 in their ODI series against the West Indies with the decider to be played on Wednesday.
Jansen, Coetzee return as Rabada rested for South Africa’s T20 series against India
Fast bowlers Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen have been included in the South Africa squad for their four-match home T20I series against India scheduled to begin on November 8.
The duo will make their return after injury lay-offs, but Cricket South Africa have rested Kagiso Rabada along with Lungi Ngidi with a home Test series against Sri Lanka to follow later next month.
Aiden Markram will captain the side against India, who beat the Proteas to win the T20 World Cup in Barbados earlier this year, while David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen and Keshav Maharaj are all included.
All-rounder Mihlali Mpongwana has received his maiden call-up, while uncapped Andile Simelane is also part of the roster.
“It’s both an exciting and important series for us as we continue to build towards the T20 World Cup in 2026,” said South Africa white-ball coach Rob Walter.
Nicholas Pooran secures record-breaking US$2 million deal with Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL - reports
Nicholas Pooran, the dynamic West Indies batter, is poised to earn an impressive US$2 million with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as their primary retention ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Reports indicate that Pooran’s retention became virtually official following a recent meeting with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka in Kolkata, solidifying his spot as LSG’s key asset for the upcoming season.
Originally, KL Rahul, who captained LSG for the past two seasons, was anticipated to be the top retention choice. However, with Rahul’s departure, Pooran stepped into the role, securing an 18 crore (approximately US$2 million) paycheck — the highest of his IPL career. LSG previously invested heavily in Pooran, acquiring him for ₹16 crore (around US$1.9 million) ahead of the 2023 season following his release by Sunrisers Hyderabad.
“Pooran is committed to LSG, possesses a winning mindset, thinks deeply, and, above all, is adaptable to the batting order and any match situation,” a source close to the franchise said, explaining the rationale behind the hefty retention.
Pooran's remarkable performance last season backs LSG’s decision. He was among the top run-scorers, amassing 499 runs at an impressive average of 62.38 and a strike rate of 178.21, with three half-centuries. His impact continued through 2024, where he’s emerged as the leading run-scorer in all formats of T20 cricket, hammering 2251 runs from 68 games. This places him well above other marquee T20 players, with the closest Indian contender, Virat Kohli, ranked significantly lower.
With Pooran’s position secured, LSG is expected to retain a core group that includes spinner Ravi Bishnoi, young fast bowler Mayank Yadav, promising batsman Ayush Badoni, and left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan. Heading into the IPL mega-auction next month, LSG has a substantial purse of 69 crore, which will be used to fill 15 slots, rounding out a strong team.
Meanwhile, KL Rahul is anticipated to be one of the most sought-after players in the auction. Rumors suggest that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) may be keen to bring Rahul back, particularly as veteran Faf du Plessis, now 40, nears the latter stages of his career. Rahul began his IPL journey with RCB in 2014, and a return could provide stability and leadership for the Bangalore-based team.
As the IPL gears up for the 2025 season, Pooran’s elevation to LSG’s primary retention spot marks a significant moment for both the franchise and the player, with both hoping his performance will further solidify LSG’s stature in the league.
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