Emerging Star Cooper Connolly Signs With San Francisco In Major League Cricket

Emerging allrounder Cooper Connolly, who has represented Australia across formats, will play in this season’s Major League Cricket after signing with San Francisco Unicorns.

Underlining the 21-year-old’s rapid rise, as an incumbent Test player and having opened the batting in the Champions Trophy semi-final against India, it will mark his first foray into overseas T20 franchise cricket.

The well-heeled MLC, a fledgling tournament that has lured global stars as it prepares for its third season starting on June 12, looms as important preparation for left-arm spinner Connolly ahead of a busy slate of white-ball cricket for Australia before next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Connolly, who made his Test debut in February against Sri Lanka, is set to be available throughout the MLC season as he almost certainly won’t be part of Australia’s squad for June’s World Test Championship final against South Africa.

But Connolly could be a contender for the subsequent West Indies tour on slower Caribbean surfaces. He should be in the frame for the T20 leg of the West Indies tour and also the home white-ball series against South Africa in August.

“This last year’s been a breakthrough for myself on the international stage and now I can’t wait to test myself in overseas franchise T20 for the first time with the San Francisco Unicorns,” Connolly said.

“The prospect of playing in front of a home crowd, as well as in Texas and Florida, alongside and against some of the biggest names in world cricket is very exciting, and I can’t wait to help the team put on a show for Unicorns and U.S. cricket fans come June.”

Connolly, a versatile and explosive batter, will team up with Australian Jake Fraser-McGurk and Perth Scorchers teammate Finn Allen at Unicorns, who this season will be without Australian stars Pat Cummins and Josh Inglis due to Test duties.

Backed by Silicon Valley venture capitalists, the Unicorns have embraced analytics and AI to inform and evaluate the sport as they strive to build around a talented young core.

“Cooper’s all-round ability is going to be a key asset for the Unicorns this summer," Unicorns head coach Shane Watson said.

“Although he’s young, he’s shown maturity and adaptability beyond his age; not many players have international experience across both white ball formats and earned a baggy green at 21.”

Connolly will get the opportunity to play at the iconic Oakland Coliseum, which will host nine matches from June 12-18 before the 34-game, monthlong tournament shifts to Dallas and Broward County in Florida.

ForbesMajor League Cricket’s New Season Will Start At The Iconic Oakland ColiseumBy Tristan Lavalette

Located near Interstate 880, with its stunning views of the Oakland hills a favorite for many seated in the terraces, the Coliseum hosted almost 5000 baseball games and was the home ground of the Athletics for 57 years.

The Raiders in the NFL were also based there before being lured to the bright lights of Las Vegas, while the Coliseum for a wider audience might be best known for being immortalized in the hit 2011 film Moneyball starring Brad Pitt.

The Unicorns open the tournament at the Coliseum on June 12 against defending champions Washington Freedom in a rematch of last year’s final.