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By Peter Della Penna

The USA team that will be traveling to the UAE in just over two weeks for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier will have four new faces in the 14-man roster. There is also another new addition to the national team setup in the tour party, Washington Cricket League President Shoaib Ahmed, who was selected to be the new USA team manager.

The 44-year-old real estate agent from Fairfax, Virginia, echoed the sentiments of USACA Cricket Committee chairman Ahmed Jeddy after the conclusion of the team’s selection camp held from January 20-22 in Florida, saying that the goal is nothing short of winning the 16-team event to clinch a berth at the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka this September.

“We hope to finish it number one,” said Ahmed in an interview Sunday night. “I think we have a blend of very good youth. This is a very young team and with Twenty20, you cannot say any team can just go out. It’s not a Test match or One-Dayer. Twenty20 is a funny game and even at the top level any team can beat anybody. The guys have to be mentally sharp and the guys need to do what they’ve been picked for based on their talent. They just need to go out and perform to the best of their abilities and let’s see what the results will be but if the guys perform to their abilities, I think we can definitely finish number one. That’s what we are going in with, the expectation of winning this thing.”

The team is set to depart on March 6 from New York and will land in the UAE the following evening. The squad will then have five full days to acclimatize to conditions before their first match on Tuesday, March 13 against Uganda in Sharjah. As of now, Ahmed says plans are in the works for the team to play three warm-up matches before the tournament gets underway.

“Those details are being worked on but I can tell you there will be at least two games against a local club and one game against one of the teams participating in the tournament,” said Ahmed. “Those details are being worked out but I’m pretty sure we’ll be playing at least three games.”

Ahmed says that the senior players and leadership group believe they have enough talent and experience within the team to be able to match up competitively with every team in the event. The only thing holding them back is a lack of chemistry. The squad has been holding regular conference calls in order to become more familiar with each other and discuss scouting information about the opposition, but they have not practiced together since the selection camp in Florida that was held a month ago. Ahmed hopes they’ll be able to develop solid chemistry quickly once they get to Dubai.

“I think that’s the only thing I’m a little concerned with but besides that I don’t think there’s anything missing,” said Ahmed. “The talent is there. It’s all up to the players to go out and perform. I think we should be able to get that before the start of the tournament because we will have enough days where the team can gel together playing those practice games and practices and net sessions.”

The wide array of cultures present in the US squad is something most other teams participating in this tournament don’t have. This can present a unique challenge when it comes to meshing, not just on the field but off the field as well. Ahmed says this is where he hopes to contribute most to the tour, helping everyone come together and fit in regardless of their background.

Image (right) - WCL President and USA team manager Shoaib Ahmed. [Courtesy: Washington Cricket League]

“What I bring is basically what I bring to the WCL, my leadership skills being a real estate agent working with diverse communities in our area. As you know this team is comprised of a lot of Indian and Pakistani guys, West Indian guys and Ryan Corns is here so there’s a lot of guys from different communities. Being in the field of real estate where I deal with a lot of people, I think that’s my strength, to communicate with people. So that’s what I bring plus my leadership as the President of the Washington Cricket League. I’m handling 36 teams at a time, running the league very professionally and successfully I think that’s one of my strengths to lead this team as well.”

Ahmed is originally from Karachi, Pakistan but moved to the Washington, D.C., area in 1993 and has been there ever since. He originally joined the WCL as a playing member of Pakistan Cricket Club in 1996 before forming Titans Cricket Club in 2009. That same year he became vice-president of the league before taking over as WCL President in 2010. He wants to make sure he serves at the national level in his role as manager in the same way that he’s done as an administrator at league level.

“My job as a manager is to be a liaison between the coaches and the players and make sure that everything goes smooth on the tour,” said Ahmed. “I’ll try my best and I think I’m capable that I’ll do a very good job and hopefully we’ll win this thing. The guys are very upbeat and excited, as am I. It’s my first tour as a US national team manager and I’m looking forward to it and I think we’ll be one of the surprises of this tournament.”