Mark Adair is set to play for Washington Freedom (Source:@cricketireland/X.com)
In a big news for Ireland cricket, their star bowling all-rounder, Mark Adair, is set to play for Washington Freedom in the 2025 edition of the Major League Cricket. The Irishman has replaced Jason Behrendorff, after the Australian pacer was ruled out of the tournament due to an undisclosed injury on June 16.
Mark Adair has taken 186 wickets in 137 T20 games and is a handy batter lower down the order. He is the leading wicket-taker for his country and eighth overall in T20Is, having picked 128 wickets in just 89 matches at an excellent average of 19.44. This will be his first stint in Major League Cricket, and will be looking to translate his international form into franchise cricket. The right-arm pacer also had an impressive stint in the ILT20 recently for Gujarat Giants, where he picked 13 wickets in 10 matches.
Mark Adair Set To Add More Depth To Washington Freedom's Bowling Attack
Adair will now join the likes of Saurabh Netravalkar and Ben Sears, adding more experience and depth to Washington Freedom's bowling attack which has blown hot and cold this season. The defending champions, Washington Freedom, have a change in leadership this year, with Glenn Maxwell leading the pack in the absence of Steve Smith. The right-handed batter was set to play couple of games after the World Test Championship final, but a finger injury has ruled out that possibility.
Washington Freedom started off the season with a big loss of 123 runs, as their bowlers leaked 269 runs. They made a strong comeback in the second game though, and won the match comprehensively - something they will be looking to continue moving forward.