Former Australian skipper Steve Smith has been appointed as the captain of The Hundred team Welsh Fire, with the tournament set to enter the cricketing circle later this year in July. The 30-year-old, now also legalized to captain any side under Cricket Australia’s jurisdiction, is set to take charge of the Gary Kirsten-led outfit.
Smith was stripped off his captaincy and banned from international cricket for a year after the infamous ball-tampering scandal in 2018 at the Newlands, Cape Town. He replaced Ajinkya Rahane as the leader of the Rajasthan Royals in IPL, before conquering the international stage once again after a promising Ashes and home summer.
And now, he is poised to lead the lines for Cardiff-based Welsh Fire in The Hundred – a franchise-based 100-ball tournament slated to be organized by the England Cricket Board that is to kick-off in July.
The format is the first of its kind and came to effect after lengthy discussions by the ECB and neighboring first-class governing councils in April 2018. Quite interestingly, there will be a 10-ball last over in the same. Besides, the powerplay would comprise of the first 25 balls, while there would be a change of ends once every 10 deliveries. To add strategic dimensions, the bowlers would be allowed to bowl either five or 10 balls.
Smith is set to skipper one of the eight teams participating. Speaking on the opportunity, he announced:
“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. Tom Banton is one of the most exciting young players in the world right now and Mitchell Starc brings the X-factor with the ball, so we’re looking to put on an amazing show for the fans in Cardiff.”
The run machine is known for his shrewd field placements, ability to squeeze the best of his bowlers at key junctures of games and rotate them wisely. Most importantly, Smith knows how to attack and lead by example.
World Cup 2011 winning coach, Gary Kirsten, praised the Aussie’s credentials as he said:
“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.”
Entering the framework of the game as a breath of fresh air, perhaps, The Hundred has already injected ounces of excitement into cricket’s supporters. Smith’s side will begin their campaign against Oval Invincibles at The Oval on July 17.
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