After four years, multiple locations and some false surprises, Washington Freedom has finally found a place to call home. The D.C.-based franchise has won critical rezoning approval to develop a privately financed, 10,000-capacity cricket stadium on land it owns in Frederick, Maryland, clearing the biggest hurdle in one of the most persistent stadium endeavors by an MLC franchise.
Freedom has evaluated 15 to 20 sites throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area since it began its research four years ago. After an extensive pursuit across the region, Frederic appeared on their radar about two years ago and has since captured much of the franchise’s attention off the field.
The approval is particularly important in the context of the MLC’s long-term infrastructure ambitions, as franchises are expected to create their own stadiums as part of the league’s original vision. Liberty was among the most active in pursuing this mandate, even as attempts to secure the land and overcome the complexities associated with building a private cricket stadium in the United States proved much more difficult than initially envisaged.
The announcement also comes amid renewed momentum on the MLC infrastructure front after the Los Angeles Knight Riders opened their new stadium in Pomona this summer. The venue, which is also set to host cricket during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, has given the league another piece of purpose-built cricket infrastructure that is essential to its long-term sustainability in America.
The Freedom franchise is preparing the stadium for the 2027 MLC season, a development that would see the league operate across four venues for the first time next year, although officials stopped short of offering an absolute guarantee. The plan involves a square of five pitches, with Freedom keen to install the wicket block early enough for the pitches to stabilize over the WA winter and receive a full growth cycle before potentially staging MLC cricket next summer.
For the Freedom, a home stadium will add another layer to what has already become one of the MLC’s most successful franchises. They have reached the MLC Finals three consecutive times, becoming the first team in the competition’s history to achieve this feat. The defining moment came in 2024 when Freedom swept the competition under the tutelage of Ricky Ponting before defeating the San Francisco Unicorns by 96 points in the final to take home their first championship. They returned to the final in both 2025 and 2026, losing narrowly on each occasion.
Finding a home in Washington was just one frontier in owner Sanjay Govil’s rapidly expanding cricketing ambitions. He took a 50 per cent stake in Welsh Fire, entered into an equal partnership with Glamorgan and gave the Freedom estate a virtual foothold in The Hundred. The Indian-American billionaire has also publicly expressed interest in investing in the Big Bash League if Cricket Australia eventually opens up its franchises to private capital, part of an emerging ambition to build a broader international cricket portfolio.
Washington Freedom is among the most successful groups in the MLC ©Sports pictures
However, obtaining a permanent home in their market was arguably the most difficult part of this expansion. Frederick’s approach to freedom was remarkably popular. The franchise has spent the better part of two years educating the people of Frederick about cricket, the size of its following in the area and what a professional cricket venue can offer the broader community.
This campaign intensified over the past year. Liberty officials held town halls on the property and in restaurants, gave presentations throughout Frederick and dealt directly with local community associations, neighborhood groups, Rotary clubs and the Chamber of Commerce. The latter eventually became an ally of the project after realizing its potential economic benefits.
Liberty also showed that cricket was nowhere near being an exotic sport in the Frederick area. The surrounding area already has about five or six cricket academies with an estimated 400 to 500 children. Freedom has engaged those academies and their families, including through an event featuring Steve Smith that brought together young cricketers with local officials. At subsequent public hearings, children and parents spoke of traveling long distances to find suitable cricket facilities, and being forced to use temporary baseball pitches close to home.
Perhaps the most strategically important element of Freedom’s outreach was transforming the proposal from a mere cricket ground into a community asset. A river runs adjacent to the privately owned property, but the riverfront is not currently accessible to the public. Freedom proposed creating a riverside public park next to the cricket ground which the franchise would design, build, finance and maintain while keeping it accessible to the general public year-round.
The exact design will be shaped through a public process, but potential uses include walking and biking trails, picnic areas, boating access, farmers markets and cultural festivals. This concept effectively opens up an extension of the riverfront that is currently inaccessible to residents and returns its recreational use to the community.
“We are extremely grateful to the City Council for the thoughtful attention they have given this project and to the many people throughout Frederick who have taken the time to engage with us along the way,” said Sanjay Govil, owner of Washington Freedom. “This vote represents an important step forward, but we know there is still meaningful work ahead. From the beginning, our aim has been to create something that belongs to Frederick – a place where world-class cricket can flourish while also creating new opportunities for young athletes, families and the wider community. We are excited to continue this work together and bring the vision of the Cricket Park closer to reality.”
