Australia's fast bowler Pat Cummins is heading to the USA to join the San Francisco Unicorns midway through the Major League Cricket season. Cummins, who was last seen in action during the T20 World Cup in America and the West Indies, has signed a four-year deal with the franchise.
At 31, Cummins has only previously participated in one overseas T20 league, the IPL, and has not played in Australia's Big Bash League since the 2018-19 season due to international commitments. The Unicorns, who have won only one of their three games this season, will benefit significantly from Cummins' presence. He recently made history by securing back-to-back hat-tricks at the T20 World Cup and led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the IPL final. In his career, Cummins has played 151 T20 matches, taking 172 wickets at an average of 26.66 and an economy rate of 8.11.
Cummins' arrival aligns with the departure of Sherfane Rutherford, the hard-hitting West Indies all-rounder, who has not played any matches for the Unicorns this season and will miss the rest of the MLC due to a family bereavement.
There have been changes in other teams as well. Ottneil Baartman has replaced the injured Gerald Coetzee at Texas Super Kings, and Lungi Ngidi has taken over from Wayne Parnell, who withdrew, at Seattle Orcas.
South African fast bowler Baartman was unable to participate in the ongoing T20 Blast in England due to visa delays, freeing up his schedule. He has 107 wickets from 76 T20s and is known for his variations and death-bowling skills. Ngidi, who suffered a back injury during the SA20 at the start of the year and missed the subsequent IPL, has since recovered and was part of South Africa's squad at the T20 World Cup, alongside Baartman.