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By Peter Della Penna

According to a report published Thursday night on newyorkcricket.com, USACA has named a preliminary USA U-19 squad of 18 players from last weekend’s selection trials in New York. The final 14 that will compete in the ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifier must be submitted to the ICC by June 28.

Two players who were part of the USA U-19 squad that won the ICC Americas U-19 tournament in Florida last February did not make the final 18 – fast bowler Waleed Javed Karimullah and batsman Fahad Babar. Karimullah was the only player never selected in the starting XI in any of the USA U-19 team’s five matches in February while it was previously reported by DreamCricket that batsman Fahad Babar had withdrawn himself from consideration.

Image (right) - Steven Taylor in action at USA U-19 trials in New York on June 11. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket]

Aside from the 12 remaining players from February’s team, former USA U-19 vice-captain Greg Sewdial was named as expected in the list of 18 in his comeback from two surgeries on his left ankle. He was also joined by fast bowlers Sohaib Choudhry and Jasdeep Singh, left-arm spinner Prashanth Nair, all-rounder Amarnauth Persaud and wicketkeeper Prumjot Panesar.

Four players will be cut from the list of 18 to form the final 14-man squad. The 14-man squad will then play four 50-over warm-up matches against the West Indies U-19 in Florida next month before leaving for the ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifier, scheduled for July 28-August 9 in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

USA U-19 preliminary 18-man squad by region

Atlantic – Kalim Ahmed, Mital Patel, Jasdeep Singh

Central East – Sohaib Choudhry, Abhijit Joshi

Central West – None

New York – Cameron Mirza, Prashanth Nair, Amarnauth Persaud, Greg Sewdial, Trevor Singh

North East – None

North West – Prumjot Panesar (wk), Jodhbir Singh, Pranay Suri

South East – Steven Taylor (wk)