Saurabh Netravalkar, who gained recognition during the T20 World Cup, is set to make his return to international cricket after familial obligations caused him to miss the USA’s tour to Netherlands in August. The 33-year-old pacer, however, will participate solely in the ODI segment and has been granted leave for the T20Is for reasons akin to those that led to his absence during the Netherlands tour. Netravalkar’s unavailability has propelled 21-year-old left-arm seamer Ayan Desai into the T20I squad for the first time. Desai, the U23 selection for Seattle Orcas, played a single match in the last league game against the Texas Super Kings, where he took two wickets, dismissing prominent players Devon Conway and Marcus Stoinis with figures of 2 for 30.
USA is expected to be without vice-captain Aaron Jones, as he chose to prioritize his CPL engagement with St Lucia Kings. It is noted that Andries Gous, who has been playing for Trinbago Knight Riders this CPL, faced a similar dilemma and ultimately decided to opt for his international responsibilities over the CPL. Gous is now set to mark his ODI debut in Namibia following his first selection in the ODI squad.
Former skipper Steven Taylor has been excluded from the tour due to an injury. This injury couldn’t have occurred at a more inconvenient time for Taylor, who has struggled with his form since the commencement of the Bangladesh series. The left-handed batsman has not reached a fifty in his last 13 international innings, with several top-order batsmen, including Sai Teja Mukkamalla and Smit Patel, competing for his position. Smit has earned a T20I spot after his strong performances in the ODIs in the Netherlands, where he impressively scored two half-centuries in four matches.
Milind Kumar has experienced similar favor after a comprehensive performance during the ODIs in the Netherlands tour. The 33-year-old was dropped from the T20I lineup after the T20 World Cup but finds himself recalled based on his ODI performances. Sushant Modani, aged 35, stages a remarkable comeback to the ODI team after a year away. Modani, who has remained untouched in both the MLC seasons, has been inexplicably favored over MLC performers such as Shehan Jayasuriya, Unmukt Chand, and Sanjay Krishamurthy.
Some of the omissions reflect a widening gap in the selection philosophies of USA Cricket and MLC. While the board appears inclined to support cricketers who are ‘products’ of club cricket in America, its disregard for the top achievers of MLC and Minor League is unjust and, quite frankly, outrageous.
USA Squad for CWC League 2 ODIs:
Monank Patel (Captain), Andries Gous, Harmeet Singh, Jasdeep Singh, Juanoy Drysdale, Milind Kumar, Nosthusha Kenjige, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Smit Patel, Sushant Modani, Saurabh Netravalkar, Shayan Jahangir, Shadley Van Schakwyk, Utkarsh Srivastava, Yasir Mohammad.
The squad for T20Is:
Monank Patel (Captain), Andries Gous, Abhishek Paradkar, Ayan Desai, Harmeet Singh, Juanoy Drysdale, Milind Kumar, Nitish Kumar, Nosthusha Kenjige, Jasdeep Singh, Smit Patel, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Shayan Jahangir, Utkarsh Srivastava, Yasir Mohammad.
Image Source: Saurabh Netravalkar @ Instagram
