From what I know, admittedly from a distance, there are a few passengers on this team.  Hopefully that doesn't cost the team as it tries to win or finish 2nd so that it can go to the next round of qualifiers.  Good luck to the team.    

See thirdmaan.blogspot.com/.../2011-u19-team-selection-business-as.html for my blog on this.

Please do Honest job picking the Team. We want  us Cricket to go up not to  Fall down like senior team yesterday. Send all 21 guy's to the robin singh  let him choose the  under 19 team, we consider the talent .

how many people commenting have actually seen all these cricketers in action? I've probably seen more than most, but I certainly haven't seen all of them and therefore it's tough to comment objectively.

I have some pretty strong opinions nevertheless, based on the players I've seen, those I've heard about from judges I trust, and my own experience of what makes the cut at higher level cricket. Sometimes you do have to look beyond the stats - there are batsmen who may not make huge scores at this level but are better equipped for a higher level than others, and bowlers who may not take 5 wicket hauls every week, but are more likely to succeed when the grounds and batsmen are better and the pressure is on. Statistics cannot tell you everything, especially when we're talking about transitioning up a few notches, though I'm not advocating that they be ignored.

Please note that we have taken an editorial stance to remove certain posts that name members of the current squad.  

That does not prevent us from having a good discussion regarding process flaws or improvements to selection methods.  

We have decided to leave the posts that are process focused.   Likewise with posts that highlight other noteworthy talent.

If you would like to discuss this editorial stance, please feel free to email us at content@dreamcricket.com.  

new coach... funny, didn't see the job being advertised, as most organisations would with such an appointment

I agree with the sentiment that we should back our boys when they play together.   The good news is that they don't play Canada and Bermuda until the end of the week of the tournament so hopefully they would have been able to work and play together and do the best they can.

Having said the above, let us not shove under the rug that any and all off-the-field stuff happens to be incompetent or corrupt or both.  Selection of the U19s is just the latest example -- no one can question that it didn't follow due process, not even close.  I think it is fair game to question why this keeps happening and try to hold USACA accountable for such conduct.  

I applaud dreamcricket for providing a forum for such discussion.  I also applaud them for asking USACA officials some tough questions.  This is really the only way of holding them accountable at least to some small extent.  

We are awaiting an official release on this subject, but the USACA official we spoke to referred to Manaf Mohamed as the General Manager.  This, we have been informed, is a paid position.  If that is so, he may have to vacate the position of VP, something we plan to verify today or tomorrow.  Since it is a digression from the content of the original article, we decided to pursue this thread later.

Perhaps it sums up the USACA that they have a salaried General Manager, but nobody on the outside knew anything about it - or could tell that there was one.

How about this for a revolutionary idea - recruit a Chief Executive, ask him to recommend his preferred staffing structure, and employ the requisite staff from there?  In any other sport, you appoint the head coach before the assistants - so why should this be any different?

Look for my preview of the ICC U19 Americas competition:-

thirdmaan.blogspot.com/.../usa-u19-preview-for-2011-icc-americas.html

Something to ponder here. Our boys have to play against Canada, Bermuda, Argentina, Cayman Islands and the Bahamas, and two of those teams will qualify for the global qualifying tournament.

In the meantime, in Asia there is a in a ten team, 2-group tournament for the same purpose. Hong Kong, Afghanistan, UAE, Oman, Thailand, Bahrain, Malaysia, Qatar, Nepal and Singapore. HK will not have senior team hero Mark Chapman playing for them. Saudi Arabia, Bhutan, Kuwait, China, Maldives, Myanmar and Iran are the countries that failed to qualify for the competition. The top two make it to the global qualifier. HK are the defending champions, but the consensus is that there are 5, maybe 6 teams playing for 2 spots.

We have a tough ask ahead of us in Florida, but I really feel for that Asian contingent - there are going to be some really deserving cricketers who don't even get to the global qualifier, leave alone the U-19 world cup.

Does any one know if the team manager, physio, etc. etc been announced.  Hopefully they will be real people and not the fake ones we keep seeing.