Major League Cricket (MLC) added another momentous moment to a historic week for cricket in America, with the MLC Championship Trophy unveiled in Dallas on Wednesday.
The captains of the six MLC teams gathered for photos and a media conference ahead of MLC’s inaugural season, which starts this week.
As per a press release from MLC, a photoshoot with the team captains took place at the newly-completed Grand Prairie Stadium, followed by a media conference in Dallas. MLC co-founders Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan and all six team captains came together to celebrate the future of cricket in the United States ahead of the sold-out inaugural match between the Texas Super Kings and Los Angeles Knight Riders this Thursday evening at Grand Prairie Stadium. The final will take place on July 31.
The highlight of the event was the grand unveiling of the new MLC Championship Trophy. The trophy is a stunning embodiment of the modern era of cricket in the United States. Its contemporary design in bronze metal pays homage to the sport's rich heritage while emphasizing the forward-thinking vision of Major League Cricket. The Trophy's dynamic shape captures the spirit of innovation and progress, symbolizing the growth and potential of cricket within the American landscape.
During the media conference, all eyes were on the six-team captains as they took the stage. Captains in attendance included international stars Kieron Pollard (MI New York), Sunil Narine (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Faf du Plessis (Texas Super Kings), Aaron Finch (San Francisco Unicorns), Wayne Parnell (Seattle Orcas) and Moises Henriques (Washington Freedom). The captains engaged in a Q&A session with the media in attendance – their first collective media presence since arriving in the Lone Star State.
Aaron Finch, San Francisco Unicorns Captain, said:
"We are blown away about the amount of people that turned up for our fan day. Having the opportunity to speak to young cricketers was brilliant. The ability to grow the game in this part of the world and hopefully fast-track the next generation of players to become world-class players in these facilities is unbelievable. So I think that is our role for us and this competition."
Moises Henriques, Washington Freedom Captain, said:
"I am excited to get out there and play. The standard of the international players is amazing but I think what is going to be great for this tournament and the country moving forward is the influence on the local talent. If you ask anyone in the world it is the local talent that wins you tournaments in this type of T20 tournament."
Sunil Narine, Los Angeles Knight Riders Captain, said:
"Based on how much cricket has been played here, it will be high quality with all these international players feeding information to the youngsters – it will grow from strength to strength."
Wayne Parnell, Seattle Orcas Captain, said: "Being in America, it is a land for dreamers. For us as international cricketers in America, it is our duty to promote the game in America and make sure over the next five to 10 years it takes off. A lot of expats play the game, but to get the Americans who were born and bred here, it is vital."
Faf du Plessis, Texas Super Kings Captain, said: "The stadium looks beautiful. Walking into the stadium it was amazing to see how much work has gone into getting it ready. The outfield looks green and lush. The pitches were really good and impressive. From that perspective, the tournament is already impressive. I see myself, in 10 or 15 years, coming into American sports and you can see the American feel watching the game of cricket which is unique to anywhere else in the world."
Kieron Pollard, MI New York Captain, said: "From an MI (Mumbai Indians) perspective, we look at new talent and are able to scout those international players and when we look at it and go around the world in each tournament, the most important people are the domestic talent."
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