Pat Cummins tries to set himself up for life after cricket by signing stunning big-money deal to work in the USA

The strength of America's Major League Cricket as a T20 destination tournament has increased with Australian star Pat Cummins signing a mammoth four-year deal to play with the San Francisco Unicorns.

It's another signature that the Big Bash has been unable to get as Cummins joined the growing list of Australian guns, including Steve Smith, to join the fledgling competition.

Cummins hasn't played in the Big Bash since 2018 due to international commitments that prevent many of Australia's best players from featuring in the tournament.

Several, including Cummins, have signed ambassador deals as a way to keep them involved in the Big Bash.

But he has only played in one overseas league before, the Indian Premier League, having signed several big-money deals and earnt more than $3million as captain of the Sunrisers Hyderabad this season.

Cummins had previously turned down a $1.3million IPL contract to concentrate on Test cricket. 

Cricket is taking off in the US, with T20 World Cup matches being played in New York and Dallas, and Cummins said he saw a bright future for the game there and wanted to get involved.

The 31-year-old also revealed that developing business connections that he can use after his eventual retirement from the game was a big reason for signing on. 

'MLC is developing at a rapid rate, and the US market potential is huge for cricket,' Cummins said.

'While cricket is integral to my involvement, the global network and long-term possibilities offered by the owners specifically, and Silicon Valley more broadly, presented a unique opportunity for me and my life beyond cricket.'

The MLC is set to be played from July 6 to 29 this year, after the T20 World Cup, but Cummins' availability next year could be impacted by a two-Test series in the West Indies in June and July.

Cummins is among a raft of Australians who have joined MLC, with batting dynamo Jake Fraser-McGurk to join the Australian captain at San Francisco Unicorns this season. Washington Freedom has also signed several high-profile Australians, including Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head and Smith.

The MCL has gained List A status for its second season and will now be recognised as an official T20 league, with records counting towards official T20 statistics.