Last Updated on 7 months by Charbel Coorey
Three months on after he was snubbed from Australia’s T20 World Cup squad, Steve Smith sent a timely reminder to selectors of his capabilities after starring in the 2024 Major League Cricket (MLC) tournament. Smith led the Washington Freedom to their first title, starring with the bat and as captain in a dominant display in the final.
Smith showed his class, highlighting his ability to step up in tournament finals. He hit 88 off 52 balls at Grande Prairie Stadium, accelerating significantly after crossing 40. His final 48 runs came off just 24 balls, with a trademark scoop winding back the clock.
Smith finished with 336 runs in the tournament at an average of 56.00 and strike rate of 148.67. His campaign served as a reminder to selectors who considered Smith surplus to requirements for the recent T20 World Cup, where fielding and batting mishaps cost Australia a semi-finals’ berth. Also, Washington Freedom lost just one game this season under his leadership.
MLC campaign keeps Steve Smith on the T20 radar
Playing spin will be key for Australia in the 2026 T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka. Smith is solid in this regard, rotating strike well and providing a platform for other batters to play around him.
As he gets set, Smith can then let loose against the pacers. In MLC 2024, Smith hit 259 runs against pace bowling at an average of 58.1 and strike rate of 167.1.
“He [Steve Smith] has been absolutely brilliant,” said Washington Freedom coach Ricky Ponting after the huge 96-run win over San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC Final. “The way he played, he single-handedly won us this game. I told him this morning that if he played well, showed his class, he could win us the game.”
Smith’s 88 is part of a long list of strong performances in knockout matches. He has delivered in big World Cup games, scored a hundred in the 2023 World Test Championship Final and has strong scores in franchise T20 games around the world.
Here are some of the reactions from fans to Steve Smith’s strong showing.
Steve Smith won player of the match in the MLC Final thanks to his excellent knock. Travis Head finished as the player of the tournament with a blistering 336 runs at a strike rate of 173.19, including five 50+ scores in nine innings.
Washington Freedom’s Saurabh Netravalkar (15), Rachin Ravindra (12) and Marco Jansen (11) finished as three of the top four wicket-takers in MLC 2024.