USA Cricket: Team USA Men’s squad named for return of international cricket with tour of Oman

Photo Credit: USA Cricket

• First international matches for any USA side in over a year and a half scheduled for next month as Men’s team set to tour Oman
• Four crucial ICC CWC League 2 matches vs Nepal and Oman will be preceded by two One Day Internationals vs Papua New Guinea
• Saurabh Netravalkar captains a 14-man squad with Aaron Jones named as vice-captain

USA Cricket is pleased to today name a 14-man squad who will represent the United States Men’s National Team next month with the return of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 beginning with a tri-series in Muscat, Oman. Team USA will make their return to international cricket for the first time since the start of the covid pandemic and will face off against Nepal and hosts Oman over a series of One Day Internationals in Muscat where each side plays each other twice starting from September 13th. 

Before the series gets going, USA will also play Papua New Guinea in two One Day Internationals, also in Muscat, which will be the first international cricket for any American side since the start of the covid pandemic with it being 572 days since the last action. The 14-man squad will also be joined by Kyle Phillip as a travelling reserve, who will be able to come in to the main squad in the case of any injuries or illness issues.

The tour will also be the first under the leadership of the new USA Cricket Men’s Head Coach, J Arunkumar who has had to wait for more than a year for his first matches in charge. In the CWC League 2 table, USA currently sit second and the squad will be looking to take critical points from the series of four games.

The USA touring party will arrive in Muscat on September 2nd and will have several training days at the superb facilities of the Oman Cricket Academy grounds to acclimatize as best as possible to the local playing conditions.

Chair of the Men’s National Selection Panel, Michael Voss, said, “It is exciting to be able to announce the Men’s National Team that’s heading to Oman for our first international cricket in over a year and a half. As Zonal and National selectors, we have worked together since October last year to select National and Zonal Training Groups, squads for National Trials, and now finally this USA Men’s National Squad. We have not been able to select a few key players due to their unavailability for various reasons, but this has given us an opportunity to make some new additions to the squad, alongside a core group of experienced players who have represented Team USA previously.  Importantly, we have worked closely with Men’s National Coach, J. Arunkumar, in selecting these players, and in confirming Saurabh Netravalkar as captain, alongside new vice-captain, Aaron Jones, to lead this side in our return to cricket.”

Photo Credit: LinkedIn profile photo of Michael Voss

Richard Done, USA Cricket Operations Director, added, “It’s been a long road since last year to keep our players energized during the ongoing COVID pandemic. But there is light at the end of the tunnel now, with ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 back on track, and hopefully more international cricket for both our men’s and women’s team through to the end of 2021. There’s been a lot of hard work by both the ICC and the members involved in this series and we’re especially thankful to the Oman Cricket Board and their management who have promoted the importance of these series with the Oman government and enabled us to get back on the international stage. Now that the opportunity to play is finally there in front of us, there is plenty of incentive to perform well in what are important One Day Internationals for us in the context of CWC League 2.”

Team USA Squad

Saurabh Netravalkar (captain)
Aaron Jones (vice-captain)
Abhishek Pharadkar
Dominique Rikhi
Elmore Hutchinson
Gajanand Singh
Jasdeep Singh
Jaskaran Malhotra
Karima Gore
Monank Patel
Nisarg Patel
Noshtush Kenjige
Steven Taylor
Sushant Modani
Kyle Philip (Travelling Reserve)*

Team USA’s Schedule for Oman

One Day International Matches

September 6 USA vs Papua New Guinea – Muscat, 9.30am start
September 9 USA vs Papua New Guinea – Muscat, 2.30pm start (D/N)

ICC Cricket World Cup League 2

September 13 USA vs Nepal – Muscat, 2.30pm start (D/N)
September 16 USA vs Oman – Muscat, 2.30pm start (D/N)
September 17 USA vs Nepal – Muscat, 2.30pm start (D/N)
September 20 USA vs Oman – Muscat, 2.30pm start (D/N)

This is the fourth tri-series of One Day International matches for Team USA in ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 after the Men’s National Team gained ODI status at ICC World Cricket League 2 in Namibia in April 2019. The matches are part of a series of 36 ODIs that Team USA will play over the course of 3 years in the league that was heavily interrupted by the covid pandemic.  The top 3 finishers in ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 will qualify for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023.

ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 Points Table

Name of Author: USA Cricket

USA Cricket

USA Cricket (USAC) is the governing body for cricket in the United States, overseeing the national men’s, women’s, and youth teams. It also manages Major League Cricket, the premier domestic Twenty20 competition in the U.S.