Cricket Australia (CA) is reportedly hesitant to grant Travis Head a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for participation in the 2024 Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States. The second edition of MLC is set to commence right after the 2024 T20 World Cup concludes.
Following a successful inaugural season, the 2024 MLC will feature a significant influx of Australian players. Notable names such as Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, and Pat Cummins are expected to join the American league, which will gain considerable attention after co-hosting the World Cup.
Travis Head was also slated to be part of the Australian contingent for MLC, having been signed by the Washington Freedom, a team coached by Ricky Ponting and featuring fellow Australian Steve Smith.
But with a hectic schedule ahead, including five tough matches against India this year, Cricket Australia is not confident of Head’s participation in the MLC.
Moreover, Head’s recent form in red-ball cricket has been disappointing, with untouchable performances in the home series against Pakistan and the West Indies, and the tour of New Zealand in 2024. He averaged just 24.78 in eight Test innings in which he split, despite hitting a hundred and the experience of a couple of ducks.
“We typically support players pursuing opportunities outside the Australian season where the international schedule, playing loads and fitness allows. However, each NOC request is assessed on an individual basis as will be the case coming out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.” a CA spokesperson told The Age.
It’s worth mentioning that Head also participated in the entire 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season with the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Australia has a packed schedule ahead to keep the versatile Head engaged
Australia’s first international engagement after the 2024 T20 World Cup is a white-ball tour of Scotland and England. They will start their home season with a white-ball series against Pakistan, followed by the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.
The 2024 MLC is scheduled from July 6 to July 29, with defending champions MI New York facing the Seattle Orcas in a rematch of last year’s final.
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