USA have dropped Aaron James from the ODI squad for the World Cup League 2 (WCL-2) tri-series starting on Friday. His snub came after he opted to play for the CPL franchise St. Lucia Kings and missed the Namibia tour with the USA in September. The selection panel named an unchanged squad that last toured Namibia for WCL-2.
It is believed that Jones’ decision to participate in the CPL, despite “warnings” from USA Cricket, may have caused tension within the selection committee and higher authorities at USA Cricket. Ultimately, Jones played as a local in the tournament and didn’t require an NOC from USA Cricket.
In contrast, Andries Gous, who limited his stint with the Trinbago Knight Riders to rush to Namibia, has retained his place in the team. In Jones’ absence, USA continued their unbeaten run in four ODI matches in Namibia which gave selectors confidence to make the bold decision to drop him. Although Jones was recalled for the T20I series due to his CPL final heroics, his place in the T20I squad is also under threat following a series of low scores in the recent Nepal T20I series. Jones has been a constant presence in USA’s white-ball squads since his debut in 2018.
Meanwhile, it was a day of mixed emotions for young sensation Sanjay Krishnamurthy. The 21-year-old, who has impressed throughout the American cricket summer with standout performances in the Major and Minor League, played a remarkable knock of 167* for USA-A against the touring Scotland team. Battling the intense Dallas heat, Krishnamurthy showcased his fitness and composure, leading his team in a challenging chase of 341 against a strong bowling attack, boosting his claim for a return to the national side.
Interestingly, the USA squad was announced while USA-A were still chasing, though it might have been more prudent to finalise selections after the match, especially given Krishnamurthy’s stellar performance. Nonetheless, his inclusion as the 16th man could be a wise decision. USA are set to play their first game of the tri-series against Nepal on Friday.
USA Squad: Monank Patel (C), Smit Patel, Sai Teja Mukkamalla, Milind Kumar, Shayan Jahangir, Andries Gous, Harmeet Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Saurabh Netravalkar, Juanoy Drysdale, Utkarsh Srivastava, Jasdeep Singh, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Yasir Mohammad, Sushant Modani.
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