Xavier Bartlett has further bolstered the presence of Australian talent at Major League Cricket (MLC) by signing with the San Francisco Unicorns. Currently involved in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Ricky Ponting-led Punjab Kings, Bartlett will soon share the Unicorns dressing room with fellow Australians Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, and Matt Short.
Bartlett’s initiation into international cricket has been noteworthy, capturing 11 wickets across seven T20 Internationals with a commendable economy rate of 6.84. During the 2023-24 Big Bash League (BBL) season, Bartlett shone as the leading wicket-taker for Brisbane Heat, an achievement that catapulted him into the national team. His impressive performances were acknowledged with a Cricket Australia contract, retained this year as well.
Shane Watson, head coach for the Unicorns, praised Bartlett’s skill, stating, “Xavier has shown his prowess leading the bowling attack for the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League and he will be a great addition to the Unicorns bowling line-up with his wicket-taking ability with the new ball. Having developed through the national pathways in Australia and onto the international scene, he’s matured into a very clever pace bowler, able to both keep the rate down and break key partnerships.”
Looking ahead, Bartlett could transition from MLC to Australia’s T20I series against the West Indies, contingent on the rest schedules of multi-format bowlers. He’s also in the running for the Top End series against South Africa in August, which includes both T20Is and One-Day Internationals.
MLC, scheduled from 12 June to 13 July, will feature a robust Australian representation, although players involved in the concurrent Test matches against the West Indies will not participate.
