Travis Head set to play with Smith at Washington Freedom in MLC 2024

New Delhi, Apr 15: Australia star opener Travis Head will join his compatriot Steven Smith at the Washington Freedom for the upcoming edition of Major League Cricket 2024.

MLC will kick off on July 4, after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup. Head has decided to play cricket instead of opting to rest after the marquee event. Australia won't play any international matches after the conclusion of the World Cup until September, which will see them embark on a white-ball tour of England.

Head is currently a part of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He has featured in four matches and amassed 133 runs at an average of 33.25 and a strike rate of 172.73. After Australia's T20 World Cup triumph, Head decided to opt out of their home white-ball series against the West Indies in February this year.

Head and Smith will link up with the Washington Freedom's new coach, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting. Ponting recently replaced Greg Shipperd and became the new coach of the MLC franchise.

Smith joined as a brand ambassador for Freedom last year, and Australia's international calendar allows him to participate through July, making the move widely expected. Smith's local team in Australia, New South Wales (NSW), has a high-performance agreement with Freedom.

Along with Smith, Freedom recently announced the signing of New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra. They also retained two overseas players from the 2023 season - Marco Jansen and Akeal Hosein.