Steve Smith to captain Welsh Fire in The Hundred

Australian cricket superstar Steve Smith has been selected to captain Welsh Fire men’s team in the inaugural season of The Hundred this summer, bringing international leadership experience to the Cardiff-based squad.

A former
Australia captain, Smith brings an enviable record in white-ball cricket to the
competition as well as extensive experience from franchise tournaments around
the world.

He’ll lead
fellow countryman Mitchell Starc and England stars Jonny Bairstow and Tom
Banton in a squad that features incredible firepower with both bat and ball.

World Cup
star Liam Plunkett adds more pace to Fire’s attack that will also include Ravi
Rampaul, while short-format specialists Qais Ahmad and Danny Briggs are joined
by Simon Harmer in their spin bowling ranks.

Smith
said: “It’s an honour 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.”

Welsh Fire
men’s head coach, Gary Kirsten, said: “Steve’s knowledge and experience of
leading teams in pressurised 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.”

Smith will lead Welsh Fire in the competition’s opening fixture against Oval Invincibles at the Kia Oval on Friday, 17 July.