Australia cricket superstar Steve Smith has been named captain of the Welsh Fire for the upcoming inaugural edition of England’s The Hundred competition on Wednesday (February 26).
Smith will captain the Cardiff-based Welsh Fire, which has international stars like Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc, England’s World Cup-winners Jonny Bairstow and Liam Plunkett and rising star Tom Banton and Ravi Rampaul in their ranks.
The right-hander, who was stripped of the Australian captaincy following the ball-tampering scandal in 2018, and his leadership ban will be lifted at the end of March, though it had not restricted him to lead Rajasthan Royals in the few games in the IPL 2019.
The Aussie star felt honored to be given the responsibility to lead the Welsh Fire in the upcoming tournament in England and he is looking forward to putting on an amazing show for the fans in Cardiff.
Smith said of his appointment, “It's an honor to be asked to captain Welsh Fire in the first year of The Hundred. Our squad looks super strong with a great group of players who've dominated the international and domestic scenes for the past few years.”
He added, “Banton is one of the most exciting young players in the world right now and Starc brings the X-factor with the ball, so we're looking to put on an amazing show for the fans in Cardiff.”
Smith has already a great record in white-ball cricket and will not only bring international leadership experience to the Cardiff-based side but also extensive experience from franchise tournaments across the world to the side in The Hundred.
Meanwhile, the head coach Gary Kirsten said on Smith’s appointment, “Steve's knowledge and experience of leading teams in pressurized situations will definitely help us in this first season of The Hundred. He's got a track record of getting the best out of his players while performing to a very high standard himself, which will be key for us this summer.”
Noteworthy, the Cardiff-based side will start their campaign in The Hundred against Oval Invincibles on July 17.
(With AFP Inputs)
