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By Peter Della Penna

USACA has notified the regions of players who have been invited to participate in a selection camp to pick the final 14-man roster for the USA squad to go to the UAE for the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier from March 13-24. Sources have confirmed that at least 24 players have been invited to participate in the camp from January 20-22 in Florida, pending their availability. The camp is being held in place of the 2012 USACA Twenty20 Nationals, which were scheduled to be held on that weekend but were postponed on December 28.

USACA’s new selection panel was involved in narrowing down the list of players receiving invitations. The panel was announced through email last week by USACA General Manager Manaf Mohamed. Abrar Ahmad has been retained while former chairman Sew Shivnarine has been replaced by former USACA Treasurer Selwyn Caesar. Sunny Khan has also been removed from the panel while three other new members were named: Barney Jones, Daoud Ahmed and Kuldeep Patel.

Two players who were a part of USA’s squad at the 2011 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 championship in Florida have not received invitations to the camp according to sources. They are South East batsman Japen Patel and USA captain Steve Massiah, who is currently facing 20 years in prison in a federal mortgage fraud case. Massiah was arrested on November 22 and is accused of defrauding banks and mortgage companies by allegedly falsifying mortgage loan applications to make borrowers appear more creditworthy to financial institutions. He is free on $150,000 bail.

Five players each have been invited from the North West, South West and Atlantic Regions. Four players have been invited from the Central West while three have been invited from New York, traditionally a major stronghold of USA representatives, and three from the South East. Sources have indicated that no one has been invited from the Central East and North East Regions.

Two of the players from the South East are Bhim George and Steven Taylor while the third player is unknown. Timroy Allen is a player from the South East who represented USA at the ICC Americas Twenty20 Division One in July, but it is unclear if he is the third player from the region receiving an invite. Other sources have indicated the player may be Nasir “Charlie” Javed, the 45-year-old South East Region representative on the USACA board of directors.

Aditya Thyagarajan, who was injured in Hong Kong at ICC WCL Division Three last January and unable to participate at the ICC Americas tournament in July, has received an invite and will travel to the camp as he battles to regain full fitness and force his way back into the USA squad. Thyagarajan was USA’s leading scorer in 2010 and turned in USA’s highest score at the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE with 72 not out against Ireland.

Two players who participated in USA’s U-19 squad at the 2011 ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifier in Ireland have received invites. They are fast bowler Salman Ahmad and wicketkeeper-batsman Taylor. The 18-year-old Taylor has already played for the senior team, making his debut at ICC WCL Division Four in Italy.

List of players receiving invites to USACA selection camp to be held in Florida from January 20-22

Salman Ahmad (South West), Quasen Alfred (New York), Imran Awan (Atlantic), Orlando Baker (Central West), Adil Bhatti (Atlantic), Ryan Corns (Central West), Akeem Dodson (New York), Bhim George (South East), Muhammad Ghous (Atlantic), Adrian Gordon (New York), Elmore Hutchinson (South West), Naseer Jamali (North West), Neil McGarrell (Atlantic), Aditya Mishra (North West), Nauman Mustafa (North West), Sushil Nadkarni (Central West), Abhimanyu Rajp (South West), Gowkaran Roopnarine (Atlantic), Saqib Saleem (North West), Samarth Shah (North West), Usman Shuja (Central West), Steven Taylor (South East), Aditya Thyagarajan (South West), Ravi Timbawala (South West)

List of players by Region

Atlantic: Imran Awan, Adil Bhatti, Muhammad Ghous, Neil McGarrell, Gowkaran Roopnarine (wk)

Central East: None

Central West: Orlando Baker, Ryan Corns, Sushil Nadkarni, Usman Shuja

New York: Quasen Alfred, Akeem Dodson (wk), Adrian Gordon

North East: None

North West: Naseer Jamali, Aditya Mishra, Nauman Mustafa (wk), Saqib Saleem, Samarth Shah

South East: Bhim George, Steven Taylor (wk), one unknown

South West: Salman Ahmad, Elmore Hutchinson, Abhimanyu Rajp, Aditya Thyagarajan, Ravi Timbawala