USA Cricket (USAC) five member Men’s National Selection Panel has picked its 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.
According to a press release issued by USA Cricket on Friday, the tournament, set to commence on June 1 and jointly hosted by the USA and West Indies, will see Monank Patel lead the team once again. The same squad will also play against Bangladesh in Houston, Texas for the three T20Is bilateral matches ahead of the World Cup.
The two alterations in the squad are the inclusion of Shayan Jahangir, a right-handed batsman and wicketkeeper all-rounder, in place of middle-order batsman Gajanand Singh, and fast bowler Ali Khan replacing Usman Rafiq.
USA's squad features some familiar names alongside performers from the recent T20I series against Canada, which they won 4-0. In a boost for the team's bowling stocks, tearaway quick Ali Khan is fit for the tournament, shaking off a hamstring injury which kept him out of the Canada series. The 33-year old, who has featured in several domestic leagues around the world, can also be spotted in the film clip for the official T20 World Cup anthem.
There are other familiar names in the mix, including Saurabh Netravalkar, the most capped USA player, Aaron Jones, and opener Steven Taylor, their highest run-scorer in international cricket. Off-spinner Milind Kumar, who made his debut in the same series, has also been included in the squad.
USA Cricket Team will play its first game, and tournament’s opening game, against Canada in Dallas, Texas on June 1, followed by vital matches against Pakistan, India, and Ireland in the league stages.
USA SQUAD: Monank Patel (Captain), Aaron Jones (Vice-captain), Steven Taylor, Corey Anderson, Saurabh Netravalkar, Jessy Singh, Harmeet Singh, Noshtush Kenjige, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Nitish Kumar, Andries Gous, Shayan Jahangir, Ali Khan, Nisarg Patel, Milind Kumar. Reserve Players: Gajanand Singh, Juanoy Drysdale, Yasir Mohammad.
