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USA Cricketer
March 2012 - Posts
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Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket
By Peter Della Penna in Dubai (on Twitter)
USA captain Sushil Nadkarni struck his second half-century in as many
games to lead USA to their first win on tour in the UAE as they
defeated Denmark by 32 runs on Sunday in Sharjah. Nadkarni was runout
for 72 off 49 balls including seven fours and four sixes in USA’s
20-over total of 160 for 7.
“I think we really wanted to win one game, that third game, before
going into the tournament,” said Nadkarni on Monday at the team’s
practice session ahead of their first official match of the 2012 ICC
World Twenty20 Qualifier against Uganda on Tuesday. “It was very very
important for us because we really wanted to win a game as a team. We
had a couple of meetings. I called a personal meeting with players only
and we talked amongst each other about what we should be doing on the
ground and how we should increase our intensity and play as a team. I
think it worked really well because even the coaches were surprised at
how bubbly the team was the next day and how ready we were for that
third game and the results showed as well.”
USA won the toss and elected to bat first in a 12-a-side, 11 bat and
11 bowl contest. The lineup was a good indication of who USA will be
using as their first choice players to start the tournament. Abhimanyu
Rajp and Andy Mohammed were the two players who sat out.
Nadkarni and Steven Taylor opened the batting, but Taylor only lasted
two balls before getting out without scoring, the second time that’s
happened in three matches on tour. Aditya Mishra entered at three and
struck one boundary in his 8 off 9 balls before he was run out, his
second runout in the UAE.
 Orlando
Baker joined Nadkarni and the two Central West veterans produced an
87-run stand for the third wicket. USA was 60 for 2 after 10 overs, but
the pair led a tremendous acceleration for USA in the final 60 balls as
USA scored 100 runs in the final 10 overs, but at one point 160 looked
in serious doubt.
Image (right) - Sushil Nadkarni file photo. [Courtesy: Daniela Zaharia/USACA]
With the score at 120 for 2, USA nearly went into a free fall as four
wickets fell for one run. Nadkarni was runout, Baker was trapped LBW to
Denmark captain Michael Pedersen for 33 in 39 balls, Nauman Mustafa was
caught off the bowling of Pedersen without scoring and Gowkaran
Roopnarine also exited without troubling the scorers to make it 121 for
6.
Adil Bhatti spared USA’s blushes with a stunning counterattack,
coming in at number six and finishing 34 not out in just 11 balls, with
three boundaries and a six. Off the non-boundary shots, Bhatti scored 16
off 7 balls, exactly the kind of efficiency USA needs from a
middle-order player. Combined with his four wickets in the warm-up game
against Namibia, Bhatti has virtually sealed a spot in the starting XI
for Tuesday’s match against Uganda.
Ryan Corns was the last wicket to fall with the score on 147,
notching 2 off 4 balls before he was bowled by Sair Anjum, one of three
wickets on the day for the medium pacer. Pedersen finished with figures
of 2 for 10 including one maiden in four overs of off-spin.
Denmark got off to a slow start in their chase and never threatened
to haul down the target. Off-spinner Muhammad Ghous opened the bowling
with Usman Shuja but it was Corns coming in at first change who was
responsible for the first wicket, getting Shehzad Ahmed out for 6 off 12
balls. Freddie Klokker fell to Elmore Hutchinson for 22 off 23 balls to
make it 39 for 2.
Pedersen and Rizwan Mahmood constructed a 53-run third wicket stand
but Bhatti came on to dismiss Mahmood for 24 off 20 balls. James Moniz
was runout without facing a ball to make it 97 for 4 and Kamran Mahmood
was bowled by Usman Shuja for 11 off 16 to make it 123 for 5. Pedersen
capped a solid all-round display by finishing 58 not out off 44 balls,
with six fours and one six. Denmark finished their innings at 128 for 5.
On the bowling sheet for USA, Shuja took 1 for 28 in four overs while
Ghous bowled one of his typical tidy spells to finish 0 for 21 in four
overs. Corns took 1 for 20 in four overs while Asif Khan finished with 0
for 24 off three overs. Hutchinson had his best statistical performance
on the week with 1 for 17 in four overs while Bhatti took 1 for 13 in
one over.
With Rajp and Mohammed sitting out today, it was a good indication
they’ll also be doing so to start the tournament. While Ryan Corns
hasn’t scored many runs, he’s been bowling plenty of overs and it’s
clear that team management likes his all-round attributes and
athleticism in the field. It appears Ghous will be given a chance to
remain in the lead off-spinner’s role, but should he slip up Rajp will
be ready to step in after two solid performances in USA’s warm-up
fixtures. At the moment, Steven Taylor may be the odd man out at the top
of the order, having turned in scores of 0, 12 and 0 in three tour
matches.
As the team wrapped up its final practice today ahead of the
tournament, Nadkarni said the addition of Robin Singh to the management
team as a technical consultant has been a big help for how the team is
preparing for the qualifier.
“He brings a whole lot of experience at the international level and
he’s really working hard with the boys,” said Nadkarni. “I think the
results became apparent in the third game against Denmark when we
figured out some of our bowling and batting combinations and also looked
at the fielding strategies so it’s starting to come together but we
still have some areas to work on.”
“I think going into the tournament we still need to hit higher
fielding standards. We’re still making some mistakes in the field with
misfields. I think from a batting standpoint, we’d like our guys to
convert more of the dot balls into at least singles or doubles.”
Nadkarni says that he anticipates some of the newer players will be a
little nervous ahead of USA’s first match, but hopes it won’t affect
the team too much.
“A lot of the guys are new to this level of cricket and new to the US
team in general,” said Nadkarni. So going into tomorrow I’m sure
there’ll be some nervous energy but we’ve done our best in the warm-up
games to pump the guys up, get the youngsters as much exposure as we
could get them in the three games so they get a feel for playing against
good opposition and trying to cope with the high intensity of Twenty20
cricket.
DreamCricket.com will have live coverage for all of USA’s matches at
the 2012 World Twenty20 Qualifier, beginning at 1:45 a.m. EST on Tuesday
when USA takes on Uganda from Sharjah. DreamCricket.com’s tournament
coverage is made possible in part by the New Inning Foundation.
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Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket
By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)
A little less than two years ago, several thousand cricket fans
descended upon Fort Lauderdale to watch what was billed as a landmark
event in US cricket: The Pearls Cup. Most people remember the occasion
for the two Twenty20 matches played between Sri Lanka and New Zealand,
matches that were shown in America on ESPN3 and broadcast around the
world on ESPN Star.
Aditya Mishra remembers the weekend a little differently. Compared to
the attention given to Sri Lanka and New Zealand, USA was practically
invisible as they played in front of several hundred people that same
weekend at the Central Broward Regional Park stadium with no television
audience for their set of three matches against Jamaica. Perhaps no
person in USA’s squad felt more invisible that weekend than Mishra.
Sushil Nadkarni and Rashard Marshall were due to tour with USA a week
later for the team’s trip to the ICC Americas Division One tournament
in Bermuda, but both players had to withdraw from the Florida leg
because they couldn’t get enough time off work. That opened the door for
Mishra and Clain Williams to be added to the squad at short notice. But
when Mishra showed up to join the team in Fort Lauderdale, he hardly
felt like he was part of the group.
“When they were distributing clothes, I was patiently waiting for my
turn to get my US clothes. I take a lot of pride in doing that, playing
for USA,” Mishra told DreamCricket in an interview ahead of the 2012 ICC
World Twenty20 Qualifier which starts March 13 in the UAE. “I didn’t
get anything. The trousers which they gave me didn’t even have a US
logo. It was as if they forgot to bring clothes for me. They got clothes
for the people who were selected for Bermuda. They had an extra trouser
with no logo which they gave me. The shirt they gave me didn’t have my
name and I had to put my number using white tape. Then I started picking
the US practice shorts. They said, ‘Everybody pick one.’ I went to pick
and somebody held me back and said, ‘That’s not for you.’”
 “That
was it. In all these years I’ve scored runs and not scored runs, but
I’ve never been treated like that on a cricket field or outside. It was
unbelievable that I felt that. I felt insulted as a player. That is one
thing which I will never forget. That keeps me going.”
Image (right) - Aditya Mishra file photo. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket]
Mishra scored 18 runs in two innings that weekend against Jamaica,
but it was the locker room slights from senior players that stung much
more.
“There were some incidents that were not very good,” said Aditya
Thyagarajan, who was Mishra’s roommate on the team that weekend in Fort
Lauderdale. “He was disappointed obviously in the evening that he’s not
being treated with respect. He’s a former first-class player having
played Ranji Trophy in India. All I told him was just use this as
motivation. Sushil and myself did that. We felt we were also left out of
the US team for at least one or two years prior to making an entry. I
just said when you get a chance, make sure you do really well. I think
he took it positively. He went and got a trainer, started working hard
and got into the US team purely on merit.”
At the end of that weekend in Fort Lauderdale, Mishra came back to
New Jersey determined to work hard on his game so that nobody could
ignore him in the future. It paid off when he turned in a brilliant
performance for the Atlantic Region, scoring 87 off 49 balls against
Steve Massiah’s New York squad at the 2011 USACA Twenty20 Nationals last
June in Newark to force his way back into the USA squad the following
month.
The Central Broward Regional Park stadium was mostly empty for the
ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament in July, but Mishra was no
longer invisible. He finished third on the team with 98 runs in four
innings at an average of 32.66. Another confident showing in January’s
USACA selection camp saw him named the vice-captain for the USA squad
currently touring in the UAE in an attempt to qualify for the 2012 ICC
World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.
Mishra’s journey began in New Delhi, where he was born and raised on a
steady diet of cricket. He played his junior cricket in Uttar Pradesh
and was coached by Manu Kumar in the town of Meerut, the home of
numerous cricket bat factories.
“My father was a first-class player,” said Mishra. “My uncle was
captain of a university team. So cricket was always in the family and
that’s the game I’ve always played. I remember as a child I never played
with any toys. The first thing I had when I could walk was a cricket
bat, a plastic cricket bat.”
When it was time to go to university, Mishra weighed his options and
narrowed them down to programs in Mumbai and Bangalore. He wanted to go
to a good engineering university but also a place with good cricket.
“In the end I chose Bangalore for weather, I think people are a
little bit more milder and it’s a bit more fair than certain parts of
India in terms of politics,” said Mishra. “I thought that I’d stand a
better chance if I played cricket with good people.”
Mishra played league cricket and captained his university side, MS
Ramaiah Institute of Technology. He eventually caught the eyes of the
Karnataka selectors and was brought into the state’s U-22 and U-25
teams, allowing him to train with and learn from players like Anil
Kumble, Rahul Dravid and Venkatesh Prasad. He eventually made his debut
with the senior side in 2002 at the age of 20. However, he got caught up
thinking about his future, specifically whether or not the quality of
life for a state cricketer was something he wanted to accept if he never
made it to the national team.
“At that time there was no IPL. We didn’t used to get paid that much
playing Ranji Trophy,” said Mishra. “I saw a lot of players who were
playing Ranji Trophy for x number of years and who didn’t play for
India. They would probably end up with one scooter and a one bedroom
house with a very low salary.”
“Sadly, my engineering finished after my first year of Karnataka
Ranji Trophy and in the end, everybody needs to get a job. Then came the
sad part of leaving cricket because I got a job in Samsung which was in
Delhi, got transferred officially from Karnataka Cricket Association to
Delhi Cricket Association to play Ranji Trophy for Delhi. However, my
company sent me to South Korea and that was the end of cricket for me.”
After spending two years going back and forth from Delhi to South
Korea working as a business analyst, Mishra decided to move to the USA
in August 2004. He wanted to pursue his MBA at George Washington
University but also came to America to reconnect with his college
sweetheart Smriti. He knew cricket was played around the Washington,
D.C., area, but he wanted nothing to do with it.
“For me, I’m the kind of person who will go all out or won’t do it,
especially with cricket,” said Mishra. “To keep going back and forth
would always remind me of those memories, which I didn’t want to
remember. Cricket never crossed my mind. I had a break up with cricket.
It was always my first love. It will remain my first love. It hit me
pretty bad that I had to leave cricket so I just completely left it. I
didn’t want to play anymore.”
“Those were tough times for me. I distanced myself from any cricket
player from Karnataka. Venkatesh Prasad, Anil Kumble, even Robin Uthappa
who took my place in the Karnataka team as an opener. I never spoke
with anybody in Bangalore. I distanced myself, which is pretty bizarre
now that I think about it and pretty immature but I was very young and I
was not happy that I had to leave cricket, something which I always
thought defines me. It’s a part of my life. I had to find ways to live
with it and one of the ways was to go into complete withdrawal.”
He had friends in Washington, D.C. who knew about his time playing
for Karnataka and they tried to cajole him into coming out to play. He
finally agreed to show up and was a bit stunned at what he saw when he
did.
“I went to the ground, I saw them play and it was very different,”
said Mishra. “People were smoking on the ground, something which is
unheard of. I saw people drinking beer on the boundary lines, people
fighting. There was thick grass, no turf wicket and at that time it was a
shock for me. All those were big no-nos for me at cricket.”
He showed up a few more times, but wasn’t terribly interested in
coming back. It wasn’t until 2008 when he moved to New Jersey that he
considered attempting to play on a regular basis in club cricket. He
wasn’t interested in the politics that tend to interfere with the
experience even at club level and so Smriti set about doing the
investigating for him, trying to find a club where he would feel
comfortable.
“I used to live near a cricket ground,” said Mishra. “Me and my
fiancée at that point, now my wife, we would drive past a cricket
ground. I would stop my car and watch cricket. She’d seen me in school
and she’d seen me play and she’d seen me live that life. She could see
in my eyes that I loved the sport.”
“She forced me. Somehow she convinced me to join a club, but when I
looked around, she did all the research for me for which club I should
join. Either the club was a totally Pakistan club or a totally Indian
club or a Gujarati club. I didn’t want to play cricket like that where
people are regionalized or by country or by region in India and that’s
how they play. I’m not that kind of a person and it was a big no-no for
me. Suddenly a team’s name popped up named Gymkhana. It had a good mix.
When I read the names it had Muslims from India, Muslims from Pakistan,
people from all over India, north India, south India.”
Once he had overcome the hurdle of getting back to cricket on a
regular basis, Mishra’s next task was to find a way to get past the
frustration many cricketers in the USA face on a regular basis: finding a
way to not compromise one’s technique in spite of the conditions at the
grounds.
“Things were a little bit difficult because I was not really into the
game mentally and I was always fighting the conditions,” said Mishra.
“Wickets are not good, grounds are not good. If you play in the
Chinnaswamy Stadium, you don’t play in the air. Here if you play along
the ground, you will not even get one run because the grass is so
thick.”
He wasn’t playing with any sort of vision in mind to get into the USA
squad, but things started to change in 2009. He was having a good club
season with Gymkhana CC in the Cricket League of New Jersey and was
picked to play for the Atlantic Region for the first time at the USACA
Eastern Conference Tournament in Washington, D.C.
“I think one person who basically pushed me into this competitive
thing is Aditya Thyagarajan,” said Mishra. Both players had come through
the Karnataka system just a few years apart and had once played against
each other in university level cricket. “He knew what I’m capable of.
He thought there was an opportunity and he kept pushing. He’s a very
good friend of mine and he said, ‘You can do it.’ It’s different when
somebody else tells you you can do it and it’s different when you feel
you have to do it.”
“It’s like a Harvard University culture. If you are from Harvard you
must be good. If I am from Harvard I know that the other guy will be
good. So I think Aditya knew what it takes to represent Karnataka. He
knew you can’t represent that Ranji Trophy team if you’re not good. So
he knew that I’ve gone through the grind of playing against top people
and performing against top opposition and he just wanted to reignite
that thing. He thought it would help US cricket if I can motivate myself
to play competitive cricket.”
 However,
Mishra’s entry into the national team was a short and rocky one. After
that initial experience in 2010, he wanted to establish a new level of
commitment. He called up his coach in India, Manu Kumar, and tried to
map out a strategy to show the cricket community in America that he
belonged in the national team. One part of the plan was to work on his
fitness with the help of a personal trainer.
Image (right) - Mishra tees off against New York at the 2011
USACA Twenty20 Nationals in Newark, New Jersey. [Courtesy: Peter Della
Penna/DreamCricket]
“That’s one thing which I can take advantage of being in America,”
said Mishra. “People here may not know cricket, but… there has to be a
reason why Americans do so well in the Olympics. At least the fitness
part, I can go to the best trainer and they can take care of it. I can
take care of my cricket. My wife was away for one year. She was doing
her post doctoral work in Vancouver. So I thought that rather than going
out in the evenings with friends and getting drunk, that’s probably not
the best thing to do, I can focus after work on fitness and playing
cricket. So that’s how I channeled my free time.”
Mishra made good use of that free time to not just get back in the
USA squad, but assume a leadership position as vice-captain. Mishra’s
day job is now in San Francisco as a Manager of Advisory Services with
Ernst & Young. His consultancy skills have already come in handy as
he’s tried to map out ways with the new USA captain Nadkarni to not just
develop strategies against opponents, but create a new, more positive
team culture. With so many new players coming into the team for this
month’s tour to the UAE, Mishra says he doesn’t want anyone to have to
deal with the same things he went through in 2010.
“It was a good learning experience how the US team functioned then,”
said Mishra. “Now that I’ve been put in a role, I’m trying my very best
to make sure those things never happen again. One thing we’re trying to
address is team bonding. I think there was a lot of groupism in the team
and we’re trying to cut across that.”
Nadkarni says that Mishra’s experience across all levels of cricket
will be of tremendous value to the team and is looking forward to
working with him in a leadership capacity on tour.
“With Aditya, we are pretty good friends off the field as well and I
was very happy for him when the selectors selected him as the
vice-captain of the team because he does have very good experience,”
said Nadkarni. “He’s played first class cricket in India and he reads
the game really well as well. He is a very stylish batsman.”
Mishra is arguably USA’s best player of spin bowling, confident in
using his feet to come down the wicket to negate turn. On the slow
tracks that will be used at the tournament, his form will be vital in
determining USA’s fortunes. He’s keen to be a leader for the team both
at the crease and in the locker room.
“It’s an honor to be in a leadership position for the US national
team,” said Mishra. “I just want to thank everyone who has been involved
to give me this opportunity.”
“He is very motivated for the tournament,” said Nadkarni. “He’s been
working extra hard on his fitness like the rest of us. If he gets going
and has a great tournament, I think that will really really boost our
chances.”
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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)
Louis van der Westhuizen’s 48 off 22 balls, including seven fours and
two sixes, was the difference for Namibia as they defeated USA by 22
runs in USA’s second warm-up match on Friday in Sharjah ahead of the
2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier.
USA won the toss and elected to field first. Captain Sushil Nadkarni
sat out a day after hitting 79 not out in order to give other players a
chance to get form. The match was a 12-a-side contest with 11 batting
and 11 bowling. The only other player not to appear on the scorecard for
USA besides Nadkarni was Muhammad Ghous, who did not fly out with the
rest of the team from New York on March 6. According to USA Team Manager
Shoaib Ahmed, Ghous requested to join the squad late because he had to
take a series of mid-term exams at Rutgers University. Ghous is
scheduled to join the team in Sharjah on Saturday.
Raymond van Schoor opened the batting with Gerrie Snyman for Namibia.
Usman Shuja struck immediately to remove Snyman for a third-ball duck
but Namibia bounced right back as the 23-year-old van der Westhuizen and
21-year-old vice-captain van Schoor put on an 82-run stand for the
second wicket. It took off-spinner Abhimanyu Rajp to remove both of them
in quick succession, Westhuizen stumped and van Schoor bowled for 26,
to make it 85 for 3.
Craig Williams and Namibia captain Sarel Burger rebuilt the innings
with a 40-run stand to put their side on the way to a competitive total.
Namibia was 96 for 3 after 10 overs but USA fought back with medium
pacer Adil Bhatti doing most of the damage. Corns got Burger out for 22
while Bhatti claimed Williams for 29 off 19 balls. Bhatti then bowled
16-year-old batting phenom Gerhard Erasmus for a golden duck to leave
Namibia 134 for 6.
 Usman
Shuja came back for a late spell and removed Louis Klazinga for 2 to
make it 143 for 7 before Ewald Steenkamp gave Namibia a late burst at
number eight with 23 off 20 balls. Bhatti finally pinned him LBW and
also bowled Zhivago Groenewald for 1 as Namibia finished on 169 for 9 in
20 overs.
Image (right) - Orlando Baker file photo from the 2010 ICC World
Twenty20 Qualifier. Baker top scored for USA in Friday's warm-up match
against Namibia. [Courtesy: Daniela Zaharia/USACA]
Bhatti finished with 4 for 38 in four overs for USA’s best figures on
the day. Shuja took 2 for 35 in four while Rajp finished with 2 for 30
in four. Elmore Hutchinson bowled just the second over of the match for
nine runs. Corns took 1 for 26 in three overs while Asif Khan and
Orlando Baker each finished with 0 for 15 in two overs.
Steven Taylor opened once again for USA, this time with Gowkaran
Roopnarine joining him at the top of the order. The two put on 34 for
the first wicket, Taylor notching 12 off 17 balls with two fours and
“Juicy” Roopnarine with 18 off 11, including four boundaries. However,
USA stumbled badly to lose three wickets in the space of two runs to
fall to 36 for 3. Hendrik Geldenhuys had Taylor caught by Williams while
Roopnarine was out to Klazinga. Aditya Mishra came in at number four
and was out second ball, caught off the bowling of Geldenhuys.
Baker joined Hutchinson, who had come in at number three, and the two
rebuilt USA’s innings to take them to 70 for 3 after 10 overs. The
stand wound up finishing at 53 runs before Hutchinson was out LBW off
Klazinga for 31 off 26 balls, including one four and two sixes. USA was
104 for 4 after 15 and with 66 needed to win in five overs, the asking
rate was too much to chase down Namibia’s total.
Baker finished with USA’s top score on the day, 39 off 38 balls
including three fours and a six to continue his solid form off the first
warm-up match. Andy Mohammed scored 12 off 10 before he was out to
Geldenhuys. Corns came in at seven and managed 2 off 3 balls before he
was bowled by Christi Viljoen. Nauman Mustafa gave USA a brief burst at
number eight, finishing 16 not out off 7 balls with three boundaries.
Bhatti hit 7 off 3 balls, including a six, before he was run out. Shuja
scored 1 off 2 and Khan was bowled first ball by Viljoen to finish off
the game. USA was all out for 147 in 19.1 overs.
The result for USA is a respectable one though considering the fact
that Nadkarni was rested from the batting lineup. USA had a day of
training in Sharjah on Saturday and will have one more warm-up match in
Sharjah on Sunday against Denmark. The team will then have one more day
of training on Monday before their first official match of the 2012 ICC
World Twenty20 Qualifier on Tuesday, March 13 against Uganda from the
Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium.
DreamCricket.com will provide live coverage of USA’s matches all
tournament long, beginning Tuesday at 1:45 a.m. EST in the USA.
DreamCricket.com’s tournament coverage for USA at the 2012 World
Twenty20 Qualifier is made possible in part by the New Inning
Foundation.
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Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket
By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)
January 26, 2011. USA vs. Oman in Hong Kong. It was a day when USA
pulled off a remarkable triumph, recovering from 20 for 7 to win by two
wickets. Unfortunately, that memory quietly faded away in the minds of
most people who follow US cricket because it was bookended by two games
with varying degrees of humiliation. USA was bowled out by Papua New
Guinea for 44 on January 25 and a January 28 loss to Italy sealed USA’s
relegation back to Division Four of the ICC’s World Cricket League.
For a time, it appeared that one of the heroes of that match against
Oman would be discarded forever just like the memory of that game.
Despite taking 3 for 11 and scoring 31 not out as part of a 71-run
unbroken ninth wicket stand against Oman, in addition to being one of
USA’s most consistent performers throughout the Hong Kong tour, Khan was
surprisingly dropped for the 2011 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20
tournament in July. Rather than pout about it, Khan said it only made
him work overtime to force his way back into the USA team for the 2012
ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE.
 “At
that moment to me I thought that it was a harsh call, but I think
everything happens for a reason,” said Khan in an interview with
DreamCricket. “When I got dropped, I got more determined. I started
working extra hard. I thought that I’m going to come back. I was working
hard on my fitness.”
Image (right) - Asif Khan in action at 2011 ICC WCL Division Three in Hong Kong. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket]
“When I got selected for Hong Kong, I wasn’t in the shape I should
have been or the fitness level that I ideally should have been. It kind
of worked in my favor being dropped because I had to reflect. I thought
I’m not where I’m supposed to be and I need to be way better than that.”
Khan is hoping to prove he’s better than what he showed in Hong Kong,
which wasn’t even bad to begin with. The 33-year-old left-arm spinner
grew up in Karachi, Pakistan before his family moved to Islamabad when
he was a teenager. After working his way through the local cricket
scene, he made his first-class cricket debut as a 17-year-old in 1996
for the Islamabad Cricket Association against a Lahore team that
included Mushtaq Ahmed, Ata-ur-Rehman, and Mohammad Asif.
Khan also captained the Islamabad U-19 team in the domestic U-19
tournament to a Grade II four-day tournament final victory over a
Gujranwala U-19 side which contained Abdur Rehman and had Shoaib Malik
as captain. After playing six first-class games before the age of 19 for
Islamabad, cricket clashed with the wishes of Khan’s parents for him to
finish his university studies.
“My mother didn’t want me to play cricket at all,” said Khan. “She
wanted me to finish my studies and concentrate on my studies. My father
used to help me out a little bit and support me but I never had very
strong support from my parents. They always stressed the importance of
education and educating myself. It was to a point where I had to choose
one or else you’re on your own.”
Khan put his cricket career on hold to attend college in Islamabad
and eventually he moved to the USA in August of 2001 to take up a
scholarship offer at Winona State University to pursue coursework in
computer science. “It was a whole new experience. I didn’t imagine it
was going to be like this. It’s a totally different culture, different
people. I took at least two years to get adjusted. America was not a
place where you could ever imagine to play cricket. I didn’t have any
idea cricket is played here until 2004 when I came across a couple of
guys playing in a tennis court.”
By this point in time, Khan had transferred from Winona State to
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he also switched majors to focus
on health sciences. After his fateful tennis court meeting with members
of the Milwaukee Cricket Club, Khan started playing with their team in
the Midwest Cricket Conference. Khan graduated from UWM in 2006 with a
Bachelor of Science degree in radiology technology and in 2007, he
became a US citizen. In 2008 he was picked to play for the Central East
Region team for the first time. After a string of miserly performances
at national tournaments for the Central East, Khan was picked to play
for USA to go to Hong Kong in 2011.
Khan’s early personal experiences on the trip might have been a
harbinger of things to come for the rest of the team. The team flew
Cathay Pacific from JFK to Hong Kong. When the team landed, Khan
discovered that the airline had lost all of his luggage, including all
of his cricket kit.
“At that time our manager was Imran and Imran helped me buying
stuff,” said Khan. “I didn’t have my spikes. I lost my bat. I had to
have spikes to bowl. He helped me a lot with buying stuff. Aditya
[Thyagarajan] gave me his pads. I was batting with Sushil’s [Nadkarni]
bat.”
In the team’s first warm-up match on tour, Khan says he was a bit
nervous and it showed in his performance. For a moment he started to
doubt himself, but says that the senior players did a lot to keep his
confidence intact with their support.
“It took me some time to adjust,” said Khan. “I gave up like 40 runs
in six overs without any wicket. I didn’t bowl very well. That was not
the kind of start I was looking for. But Steve [Massiah], Sushil and
Aditya, especially Aditya and Sushil, they were really pushing me and
talking to me throughout the tour. They supported me a lot. After the
first game, Steve said, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.’ I was worried I
wouldn’t play the first game, but eventually I was told I was in the
XI.”
In USA’s first match against Hong Kong, Khan bowled respectably on a
Kowloon Cricket Club ground with short boundaries and little margin for
error for a spinner. He returned figures of 10-0-41-0 as USA won by
seven wickets and a day later took 2 for 31 in a gut-wrenching 30-run
loss to Denmark.
After USA’s annihilation at the hands of PNG, Khan delivered in the
clutch for USA against Oman. The match looked like it would be a
cakewalk after Khan took three wickets to help bowl Oman out for 122,
but two hours later, the team was in dire straits at 8 for 52 when he
joined Usman Shuja at the crease.
“The good thing was that I had a little knock against Denmark and
that boosted my confidence batting wise,” said Khan, who finished 17 not
out in the loss to Denmark. “I knew that if I stayed there, the good
thing was we were not chasing a big total and we had plenty of overs to
spare.”
“My initial conversation when I came to the crease, I told Usman,
‘Don’t think that I’m gonna get out. I’m not gonna get out for sure.
Don’t worry about that. Just wipe that thing out of your mind. Just
watch your wicket, I’m gonna watch my wicket. Just let me settle down a
few overs. Let me see the ball well. Once I start seeing the ball well,
don’t worry. We’ll rotate the strike. There is nothing wrong with
playing a few overs of dot balls just to get ourselves in.’ Once we did
that, we’ll win. At that moment, I never thought of losing the game.”
Khan eventually hit the winning runs over mid-on but the excitement
faded two days later with the loss to Italy. Then came the news five
months later that he’d been dropped from the squad.
 With
a new USACA Cricket Committee put in place toward the end of 2011, Khan
received an invite to come to a USACA selection camp in January in
Florida where he had to take on two incumbent left-arm orthodox spinners
from the USA squad in July, Bhim George and Samarth Shah. However, Khan
impressed the selectors enough to be chosen ahead of George and Shah to
be what new USA captain Sushil Nadkarni says is the team’s “front line
spin option” in the UAE.
Image (left) - Khan hit the winning shot here against Oman in
January 2011, but was left out of USA's next tournament squad in July.
[Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket]
“When Asif came into the selection games, he hadn’t played much
cricket because of where he was coming from [in Wisconsin],” said
Nadkarni. “After he bowled one over, he was warmed up and basically all
through the selection games from then on looked like somebody who was
distinguishing himself amongst all the spinners based on his experience
and his control and his variations.”
“When he came into Hong Kong, I feel like he was one of the finds of
the tournament and pretty much was one of the few players that had a
really good tournament. I go back to the game which we won against Oman
where Asif had three wickets in that game and then put on a partnership
with Usman Shuja to win the game for USA from 20 for 7 to chasing 110
plus. He has played first class cricket in Pakistan. He definitely
brings to us a wealth of experience. He is considered one of the senior
members of this team. So absolutely I would expect that other younger
folks and younger spinners on the team talk to Asif and try to get some
good tips on the approach and the mental preparation for the big games.”
Khan works two separate jobs from Monday through Friday as an MRI
technician for different medical groups in Milwaukee. The first goes
from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. before he heads off to the second job from 5
until 8 p.m. He gets home from work at 8:30, eats dinner and spends a
little bit of time with his wife Ghazal and two kids, a 26-month-old son
named Azaan and a 13-month-old daughter named Emaan. He then heads off
to the gym at 10 p.m. to work on his fitness before coming home around
midnight.
On some Saturdays, Khan also has to work from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but
afterwards he drives two hours to Chicago, taking his family with him,
for indoor practice sessions organized and paid for by the Midwest
Cricket Conference. He then drives two hours back to Chicago the same
night before driving back to Chicago again with his family on Sundays
for another practice session.
Even though there are few opportunities to devote to training outside
of work and family, Khan says he’s tried to make the most of them ahead
of this tour. As a result, he says he’s lost 10 to 12 pounds since the
USACA camp in January and feels fitter than he has at any point in time
since coming to America. He believes the commitment to fitness is being
taken seriously by everyone in the team ahead of this tournament and
that the results on the field will show it.
“We have quite a few fresh legs in the team and I think the senior
players are fitter and stronger than ever,” said Khan. “I believe the
way the team is looking right now, I think we have a very good chance of
qualifying. I have no doubt in my mind that we are capable of
qualifying. We just need to play together and play as a team.”
If the USA qualifies for the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka,
Khan’s role in achieving that will be vital. After the heartbreak of
Hong Kong, he hopes that USA will bounce back and prove to everyone that
the team’s last place finish at ICC WCL Division Three was just an
aberration and not the start of a trend.
“Our credibility is on the line because we didn’t do well in Hong
Kong,” said Khan. “Nobody in this tournament is taking us seriously. I
think everybody has kind of wrote us out already. We are determined to
prove ourselves and we want to show the rest of the world that yes we
belong at this top level and that we are capable of performing.”
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Source: USYCA Media Release
 The
United States Youth Cricket Association announced today that Reebok
Cricket signed a three-year agreement to become the organization’s
Official Apparel Sponsor.
“USYCA welcomes this important partnership with Reebok Cricket,” said
USYCA President Jamie Harrison. “Reebok’s leadership in the global
cricket marketplace is well-established, and USYCA is proud to be
associated with the Reebok brand.
“Reebok’s sponsorship of USYCA is the first of its kind for an
international sports brand in the United States cricket market, and thus
continues the USYCA tradition of changing expectations for cricket in
America,” said Harrison.
For USYCA, the agreement will ensure that the organization’s growth,
and its ability to impact youth cricket development, will continue its
dramatic pace.
“The funding derived from this partnership will help to further the
expansion of youth cricket in the United States for years to come,”
Harrison said. “The bar has again been raised, and USYCA, working
together with Reebok, looks forward to an exciting future.”
“Reebok is proud to support USYCA and youth cricket in America,” said
Sai Vajha, Head of Cricket for Reebok North America. “The success of
USYCA in developing cricket has set it apart, and Reebok is eager to
join with USYCA in growing our great game in the United States.”
In addition to the financial components, Reebok will produce official
USYCA licensed apparel, which, along with other Reebok apparel and
equipment, will be made available through a web portal on the USYCA
homepage.
Reebok is also an official supplier of apparel to Sri Lanka, Canada
and Zimbabwe national cricket sides, as well as several teams in the
Indian Premier League.
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[First posted on March 6, 2012. Updated on March 7, 2012 to reflect new information contained in Mr. Ahmed's media release.]
Comments
.jpg) USACA announced on March 6, 2012, that it would hold its AGM and election for executive members of the board on April 14, 2012 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Fifteen member leagues in good standing have been invited to the meeting. USACA’s last AGM was held in Dallas in 2010.
USACA also posted a list of the 48 leagues that can submit nominations for the forthcoming election although only the sitting presidents of the 15 'USACA member leagues in good standing and approved by the Board as being eligible' may vote in the election. Nominations are expected to close on Monday, March 12, 2012. Proxy voting and mail-in ballots will be accepted in accordance with the constitution.
The much postponed election has been doused in controversy. With most of the leagues stripped off their vote, USA cricket's hopes have all but been dashed.
Condemning USACA’s decision that only 15 leagues can vote, Atul Ahuja and his slate of candidates announced that they were going to boycott the election. “Team Ahuja reiterates that the role of the governing body is to include and not exclude the vast majority of stakeholders and custodians of cricket in the United States,” they noted in a media release. Several other candidates have expressed anguish and are reconsidering their options.
Nabeel Ahmed's Campaign issued a press release in which the presidential candidate is quoted as saying "I, as a concerned cricket fan and a presidential candidate, was hopeful that a greater number of leagues would have met the eligibility requirements, but, as USACA noted in a previous release, its final decision is binding."
"Let's move forward, participate in the election process, and move USACA in a new direction," Mr. Ahmed urged.
Mr. Ahmed wrote that "The one criterion, from which ineligible leagues could not escaped (sic) blame would be in the area of payment of dues, and as noted in the compliance report, this category was missing in some cases." Mr. Ahmed implied that the dues category (League has paid dues for all of its member clubs) was important. In a twist of irony, in the compliance spreadsheet document that was issued on February 10, 2012, Mr. Ahmed's Great Lakes Cricket Conference was found not to have met this very requirement.
It is noteworthy that GLCC was found to be compliant in all remaining (8) categories and was ruled eligible to vote. However, another league in Mr. Ahmed's region, the Midwest Cricket Conference, which was found to be compliant in the same number of categories, and had also met the requirement surrounding payment of dues, was ruled ineligible to vote.
In any event, Mr. Ahmed asserted his view that the eligible leagues must still continue with the electoral process. "The process, flawed as it might be, has been completed, and now it's time to get involved in the process so that some of these perceived injustices addressed. We urge eligible leagues to participate in the electoral process and vote for the individuals best suited to move USACA forward during these turbulent times," Mr. Ahmed noted, adding that "The number of leagues which are declated compliant is not very encouraging, and I believe this exercise should have been completed a few years ago, but, be that as it may, the compliance report was completed by a reputable legal firm, and I am convinced that Attorney Chance will have the back-up documents to support the reported results."
The AGM's agenda includes reports of regional administrations. Due to recent developments, three USACA regions – North East, North West, South West – have fallen below the three-league minimum. Two other regions - New York and Atlantic - have witnessed significant erosion in the number of full member leagues in good standing.
In a separate media release, USACA noted that a townhall meeting was held on the afternoon of March 3, 2012 with participation of league presidents ‘covering a broad geographic area.’ “The key issue discussed was to focus and get momentum behind a national youth cricket initiative,” USACA noted.
According to the release, "The agreed plan of action is for USACA to start a process, based on a current strategic review, which will be presented to leagues as a set of alternative plans that will allow each league to reach inside their own communities to build interest, participation and continued education and support for youth and women's cricket."
Several leagues that DreamCricket.com spoke to were unaware of such a townhall meeting. Administrators of three youth cricket programs said they too had no knowledge of such a meeting.
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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)
After being a dominant force at the Under-19 level, USA batsman Ryan
Corns has had a stop start experience so far trying to step up to the
senior level. With USA’s first game at the 2012 ICC World Twenty20
Qualifier in the UAE now just a week away, one of USA’s up and coming
talents wants to show that he can transfer his skills from 50-over
cricket to the game’s shortest form.
The 21-year-old Corns made his senior team debut against Italy at
2011 ICC World Cricket League Division Three in Hong Kong, scoring 30
coming in at number three in a losing cause. He feels he did okay under
the circumstances, but says he has a lot more to offer.
“I thought I performed fairly well considering the amount of nerves
that I was feeling walking out to bat,” said Corns. “I was shaking like
anything. My main goal was just to get myself in, not play any rash
shots and just bat for as long as I can. I was a little bit nervous
walking in but after I faced the first ball and felt the ball on my bat
then I was on my way.”
 “When
I went out in the first game, it was to prove to myself that I was good
enough to be there and to prove to other people that I was worth being
picked in that spot. I wanted to prove to myself and to the selectors
and to the team that I was meant to be there.”
Image (right) - Ryan Corns file photo. [Courtesy: ICC/Bryan Vandenburgh]
Five months after coming back from Hong Kong, the inaugural USACA
Twenty20 Nationals took place in New Jersey. The tournament was badly
affected by rain on the first day and poor field conditions the rest of
the weekend in Newark. Corns opened the batting for the Central West
Region with current USA captain Sushil Nadkarni, but struggled to
produce runs in the three games his team played.
“Leading up to that tournament I had played in the regional T20
tournament and I batted fairly well there,” said Corns. “But based on my
performance in New Jersey, which wasn’t good at all, I wasn’t gonna be
disappointed if I wasn’t picked because I know that I didn’t perform
well enough in the nationals to be selected.”
When the USA squad was selected for the ICC Americas Division One
Twenty20 tournament in July, Corns was left out. As a result, he says he
committed himself over the summer to develop a more attacking style.
Back in Texas, he participated in two IPL style Twenty20 tournaments:
the Houston Premier League and the Dallas Premier League. Such was the
determination of Corns to improve that he drove five hours each way from
Houston to Dallas on several occasions or took a plane on others to
play in the DPL in order to hone his game.
“We had the Houston one first and the team I played for won that,”
said Corns. “I scored quite a lot of runs in that. Then I got called to
go play in the Dallas Premier League along with Jermaine Lawson who
played in my team and I opened the batting with Orlando Baker in most
games. I just focused on being more of an attacking batsman without
throwing my wicket away and again every game I scored quite a lot of
runs and we ended up winning that tournament as well. From those two
tournaments, I guess I proved to myself that I can actually play
Twenty20 and be successful in it.”
After receiving an invite to a USACA selection camp in January, Corns
arrived to play in four trial matches. The first day of the camp
included a four-hour fitness test followed by the first trial match, one
in which he didn’t perform very well. He came back out with a vengeance
on the second day and caught the eye of the selectors. Nadkarni, who
like Corns plays his cricket in Houston and has been a teammate of Corns
with the Central West for a few years now, says it was like watching a
new player on the second day of the trials.
“Ryan was one of the players who had come into the selection games
with not much cricket behind him and the first game that we played he
looked completely out of sorts,” said Nadkarni. “The stadium wicket in
Florida had low bounce and he was not able to middle the ball. He was
edging it. He wasn’t getting out but he wasn’t really getting runs and
he wasn’t looking impressive while on the field.”
“I don’t know what happened from that innings to the next two innings
that he played in the next two selection games but he came back the
following day and it was like a big transformation in a player. He ended
up hitting some huge sixes. I think two of his sixes went 90 plus yards
on the stadium and he was looking a very very different batsman, very
fluent and running hard between the wickets. That’s where I think
selectors really noticed a difference in his game from the first day to
the next couple of days.”
A few weeks later, Corns found his name back in the USA squad. Like
many players, he’s been spending the time since then working hard on his
fitness. When he was part of the USA U-19 squad at the 2009 ICC U-19
World Cup Qualifier in Canada, Corns had to play seven 50-over games in
10 days to finish off the event. Looking at how tired he was by the end
of that tournament, he says he’s been put more effort into training this
time around to make sure he won’t struggle physically in the UAE.
“Prior to that tournament [in Canada], I thought that I was
relatively fit. I was probably match fit halfway through that tournament
and the second half of that tournament I was starting to feel it. My
body was tired, muscles were tired. I had to work on my stamina and
endurance fitness to be able to go through a tournament without any
muscle fatigue. I think that will be a big factor this tournament, just
how long people can endure nonstop… I mean yeah it’s Twenty20 cricket
but in Twenty20 cricket you run around a lot more than you do in 50-over
cricket. I just think that endurance will be a factor for just about
every team and how long they can last on the field without getting
tired.”
Because the team hasn’t been able to train together since the
selection camp in January, it’s been up to each player to be responsible
enough to show up ready to go for the team’s stretch of seven group
games in eight days to start off the tournament, beginning with a match
against Uganda in Sharjah on March 13. Corns has been using the P90X2
physical training regimen to get himself in the best possible shape for
the event.
“There’s no point cheating yourself telling people you’re so-called
fit when you’re really not,” said Corns. “For myself that’s pretty much
the main thing I’ve been focusing on the last month is just getting
super match fit and physically fit.”
Nadkarni says that in addition to potentially having a role in the
middle order, Corns might be expected to contribute a few overs of
left-arm spin depending on the state of matches.
“Ryan has been improving every season,” said Nadkarni. “He brings a lot of the younger energy that we need on this team.”
Corns is looking forward to getting the opportunity to play in the
facilities on offer in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah at the tournament,
especially since they’re a far cry from some of the grounds that players
in the USA have to deal with on a regular basis.
“It’ll be a lot better than playing on that ground in New Jersey I
can tell you that much,” said Corns. “I’m excited. I love playing in
stadiums. It’s the big stage and I feel that when you play in stadiums
you want to perform at your best. I mean, it’s exciting. I’m excited
beyond words to play in those stadiums.”
The USA will be leaving from New York tonight and will arrive in Abu
Dhabi on Wednesday night before playing three warm-up games in Sharjah.
The first will be against a local UAE side on Thursday the 8th while the
second will be against either Namibia or another local side on Friday
the 9th. The third game will be against Denmark ahead of the
pre-tournament banquet on Sunday the 11th. Corns will be working to
cement a spot in the starting XI for the first official match against
Uganda, a game he believes will go a long way toward establishing the
path USA will travel during the tournament.
“A team goal for me would be to go out and win our first game because
that could be a catalyst to keep us motivated for the games that
follow,” said Corns. “I think the first game is very important to us
because it will determine the mood in the camp for the games going
forward.”
“I just want to do well for the team, do what I’ve been asked to do
and to my best for the team, and make a contribution toward the team to
win the game.”
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ICC Media Release
In the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier UAE 2010, the United States of
America (USA) was in the limelight due to its first-ever meeting
Afghanistan on a sports field.
 In
this month's ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier UAE 2012, all eyes will be on
it as it will be led for the first time by 35-year-old Sushil Nadkarni -
an attacking top order batsman who in the mid-90s was considered as one
of India's most talented and brightest cricketers.
In the 1994-95 season, Nadkarni averaged just under 100 with three
centuries and as many half-centuries which earned him a place in the
India U19 squad on the 1995-96 tour to Australia where in two Tests, he
scored 120 runs at an average of 30.
After moving to the USA in the late 90s to complete his education,
Nadkarni celebrated his debut for his adopted country by hammering a
fine century (111) against the Cayman Island in August 2006 in the
Americas Cup.
Nadkarni was also USA's highest run-getter in his side's successful
campaign in the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 4 2010 in Ovale
di Rastignano, Pianoro, Bologna, with 216 runs from five innings of
seven matches at an average of 108. In that event, he also showed his
muscles when he clubbed 17 fours and 12 sixes.
In the historic match against, which Afghanistan won by 29 runs, at
the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in February 2010, Nadkarni
scored 12 and featured in a 28-run first wicket partnership with Carl
Wright as the USA finished at 106-7 while chasing 136 for victory.
"Leading Team USA is an honour for me personally and I want to lead
from the front.," says Nadkarni, adding: "We are representing thousands
of cricketers in the USA and the expectations are pretty high from the
stakeholders out here.
"The average age of the team is about 27 years. We have four new
faces in our team – Elmore Hutchinson (left-arm fast bowler), Adil
Bhatti (all-rounder), Nauman Mustafa (wicketkeeper), and Abhimanyu Rajp
(off-spinner) – while some of our players like Steven Taylor (opener),
Ryan Corns (all-rounder), Muhammad Ghous (off-spinner), and Andy
Mohammed (left-handed middle-order bat) have come through the U19
programme and have represented the USA U19 in the recent years.
"A lot of responsibility will sit with the senior player group
including Aditya Mishra (vice-captain), Orlando Baker (all-rounder),
Usman Shuja (right-arm fast bowler), Gowkaran Roopnarine (opener), Asif
Khan (left-arm spinner) and myself.
"Everyone is excited to be a part of this high profile tournament," he says.
Nadkarni says his side attended a selection camp in January in
Florida and also played in four T20 selection matches. "The team is
focusing heavily on fitness at the moment with each player reporting on
the progress to the team physiotherapist, Mr. Masood Chik, on a regular
basis."
The USA, along with Canada and Bermuda, qualified for the UAE
tournament by finishing in the top three of the ICC Americas Division 1
in Florida in July 2011. The USA for the UAE event has been placed in
Group B which also includes Ireland, Kenya, Scotland, Namibia, Uganda,
Oman and Italy.
"We have met Ireland, Scotland, Oman, and Italy before but have not
played Kenya, Namibia, and Uganda in the past five years, at least.
Nevertheless, we are excited about the tournament and have been
communicating with each other on regular weekly conference calls.
"When we arrive in Dubai, we will be playing three practice games before our first game against Uganda on 13 March 13."
Nadkarni says if his side qualifies for the tournament proper in Sri
Lanka, then it would be a historic moment in the history of the USA
sports and will give a tremendous boost to cricket. "Qualification to
the ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012 would be a historic achievement
and a dream come true for the entire nation.
"Much as Major League Soccer went to the next level when the USA
Soccer team made the World Cup, the same will happen with cricket in the
country."
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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)
In the wake of a USACA board meeting on February 26, South West
Region representative Mark Sood commented in an interview this week that
the board was inconsistent with their decisions regarding which leagues
to rule eligible and ineligible. To further support his point, he also
revealed some of the reasons given by Robert Chance why certain leagues
were ruled ineligible as opposed to eligible, but Sood’s notes were
mainly limited to leagues within his region, the South West.
 The following lists have been compiled based on the final spreadsheet document
from Robert Chance that was published on the USACA web site. The first
set of lists will show the number of each criteria that each league
satisfied with a “Yes” rating, comparing those who remained eligible
with the same number of overall criteria completely satisfied vs. those
who were ruled ineligible with the same number of overall criteria
completely satisfied.
The second set of lists will show which leagues received a “Yes”
rating in each of the nine categories of criteria which would indicate
that a league completely satisfied the requirement of the category –
regardless of whether or not these categories are actually mentioned in
the USACA Constitution – and were subsequently ruled eligible vs. those
that were ruled ineligible. Likewise, they will show which leagues
received anything short of a “Yes” rating in each category – including a
“No” for not satisfying the requirement, a “P” for partially satisfying
the requirement or a “U” for insufficient information to determine if
they satisfied the requirement – and were still ruled eligible vs. those
that were ruled ineligible.
Comparing leagues eligibility vs. ineligibility with the same number of overall criteria satisfied
Leagues that received a Yes in 9 categories: Zero.
Leagues that received a Yes in 8 categories and ruled eligible: 1 – Great Lakes Cricket Conference
Leagues that received a Yes in 8 categories and ruled ineligible: 1 – Midwest Cricket Conference
Leagues that received a Yes in 7 categories and ruled eligible:
7 – Washington Cricket League, Minnesota Cricket Association, Central
Texas Cricket League, Houston Cricket League, Brooklyn Cricket League,
Northwest Cricket League, Central Florida Cricket Association.
Leagues that received a Yes in 7 categories and ruled ineligible:
5 – Garden State Cricket League, Millennium Cricket League, Connecticut
Cricket League, California Cricket Academy, Georgia Supreme Cricket
League.
Leagues that received a Yes in 6 categories and ruled eligible: 2 – New Jersey Cricket Association, Atlanta Georgia Cricket Conference.
Leagues that received a Yes in 6 categories and ruled ineligible:
5 – Michigan Cricket Association, New York Metropolitan and District
Cricket Association, Massachusetts State Cricket League, Sacramento
Cricket Association, Triangle Cricket League.
Leagues that received a Yes in 5 categories and ruled eligible: 3 – North Texas Cricket Association, American Cricket League, South Florida Cricket Alliance.
Leagues that received a Yes in 5 categories and ruled ineligible:
6 – Cricket League of New Jersey, Southern Connecticut Cricket
Association, Florida Cricket Conference, Florida Southeast Cricket
League, San Diego Cricket League, Southern California Cricket
Association.
Leagues that received a Yes in 4 categories and ruled eligible: 1 – Washington Metropolitan Cricket Board.
Leagues that received a Yes in 4 categories and ruled ineligible:
5 – Eastern American Cricket Association, Northern California Cricket
Association, Arizona Cricket Association, Greater Los Angeles Cricket
Association, Orange County Cricket Association.
Leagues that received a Yes in 3 categories and ruled eligible: 1 – New York Cricket League.
Leagues that received a Yes in 3 categories and ruled ineligible: 3 – Nassau New York Cricket Association, California Cricket League, Mid Atlantic Cricket Conference.
Leagues that received a Yes in 2 categories and ruled eligible: Zero
Leagues that received a Yes in 2 categories and ruled ineligible: 1 – Commonwealth Cricket League.
Leagues that received a Yes in 1 category: Zero
Leagues that received a Yes in 0 categories and ruled ineligible:
6 – Indoor Cricket USA, American Cricket Conference, Illinois Cricket
Board, International Cricket Management League, Colorado Cricket League,
Bay Area Cricket Alliance.
Comparing leagues eligibility vs. ineligibility for individual categories of compliance audit criteria
Category 1: Operates pursuant to a written constitution
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria and was ruled eligible:
10 leagues – New Jersey Cricket Association, Washington Cricket League,
Great Lakes Cricket Conference, Minnesota Cricket Association, Central
Texas Cricket League, Houston Cricket League, North Texas Cricket
Association, North West Cricket League, Central Florida Cricket
Association, South Florida Cricket Alliance.
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria but was ruled ineligible:
12 leagues – Midwest Cricket Conference, Nassau New York Cricket
Association, Connecticut Cricket League, Southern Connecticut Cricket
Association, California Cricket Academy, Northern California Cricket
Association, Sacramento Cricket Association, Florida Cricket Conference,
Georgia Supreme Cricket League, Triangle Cricket League, Arizona
Cricket Association, San Diego Cricket League.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria but was ruled eligible:
5 leagues – Washington Metropolitan Cricket Board, American Cricket
League, Brooklyn Cricket League, New York Cricket League, Atlanta
Georgia Cricket Conference.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria and was ruled ineligible:
20 leagues – Cricket League of New Jersey, Garden State Cricket League,
Indoor Cricket USA, Millennium Cricket League, American Cricket
Conference, Illinois Cricket Board, International Cricket Management
League, Michigan Cricket Association, Colorado Cricket League,
Commonwealth Cricket League, Eastern American Cricket Association, New
York Metropolitan and District Cricket Association, Massachusetts State
Cricket League, Bay Area Cricket Alliance, California Cricket League,
Florida Southeast Cricket League, Mid Atlantic Cricket Conference,
Greater Los Angeles Cricket Association, Orange County Cricket
Association, Southern California Cricket Association.
Category 2: Plays under its own written playing conditions/regulations, or under previously published playing conditions
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria and was ruled eligible:
15 leagues – New Jersey Cricket Association, Washington Cricket League,
Washington Metropolitan Cricket Board, Great Lakes Cricket Conference,
Minnesota Cricket Association, Central Texas Cricket League, Houston
Cricket League, North Texas Cricket Association, American Cricket
League, Brooklyn Cricket League, New York Cricket League, Northwest
Cricket League, Atlanta Georgia Cricket Conference, Central Florida
Cricket Association, South Florida Cricket Alliance.
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria but was ruled ineligible:
26 leagues – Cricket League of New Jersey, Garden State Cricket League,
Millennium Cricket League, Michigan Cricket Association, Midwest
Cricket Conference, Commonwealth Cricket League, Eastern American
Cricket Association, Nassau New York Cricket Association, New York
Metropolitan and District Cricket Association, Connecticut Cricket
League, Massachusetts State Cricket League, Southern Connecticut Cricket
Association, California Cricket Academy, California Cricket League,
Northern California Cricket Association, Sacramento Cricket Association,
Florida Cricket Conference, Florida Southeast Cricket League, Georgia
Supreme Cricket League, Mid Atlantic Cricket Conference, Triangle
Cricket League, Arizona Cricket Association, Greater Los Angeles Cricket
Association, Orange County Cricket Association, San Diego Cricket
League, Southern California Cricket Association.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria but was ruled eligible: Zero leagues
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria and was ruled ineligible:
6 leagues – Indoor Cricket USA, American Cricket Conference, Illinois
Cricket Board, International Cricket Management League, Colorado Cricket
League, Bay Area Cricket Alliance.
Category three: Has submitted a signed and notarized Article III Pledge
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria and was ruled eligible:
12 leagues – New Jersey Cricket Association, Washington Cricket League,
Great Lakes Cricket Conference, Minnesota Cricket Association, Central
Texas Cricket League, Houston Cricket League, American Cricket League,
New York Cricket League, Northwest Cricket League, Atlanta Georgia
Cricket Conference, Central Florida Cricket Association, South Florida
Cricket Alliance.
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria but was ruled ineligible:
24 leagues – Cricket League of New Jersey, Garden State Cricket League,
Millennium Cricket League, Michigan Cricket Association, Midwest
Cricket Conference, Eastern American Cricket Association, Nassau New
York Cricket Association, New York Metropolitan District and Cricket
Association, Connecticut Cricket League, Massachusetts State Cricket
League, Southern Connecticut Cricket Association, California Cricket
Academy, California Cricket League, Northern California Cricket
Association, Sacramento Cricket Association, Florida Cricket Conference,
Florida Southeast Cricket League, Georgia Supreme Cricket League,
Triangle Cricket League, Arizona Cricket Association, Greater Los
Angeles Cricket Association, Orange County Cricket Association, San
Diego Cricket League, Southern California Cricket Association.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria but was ruled eligible: 3 leagues – Washington Metropolitan Cricket Board, North Texas Cricket Association, Brooklyn Cricket League,
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria and was ruled ineligible:
8 leagues – Indoor Cricket USA, American Cricket Conference, Illinois
Cricket Board, International Cricket Management League, Colorado Cricket
League, Commonwealth Cricket League, Bay Area Cricket Alliance, Mid
Atlantic Cricket Conference.
Category four: Has provided the names and contact information for itself and its officers
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria and was ruled eligible:
14 leagues – New Jersey Cricket Association, Washington Cricket League,
Washington Metropolitan Cricket Board, Great Lakes Cricket Conference,
Minnesota Cricket Association, Central Texas Cricket League, Houston
Cricket League, North Texas Cricket Association, American Cricket
League, Brooklyn Cricket League, Northwest Cricket League, Atlanta
Georgia Cricket Conference, Central Florida Cricket Association, South
Florida Cricket Alliance.
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria but was ruled ineligible:
24 leagues – Cricket League of New Jersey, Garden State League,
Millennium Cricket League, Michigan Cricket Association, Midwest
Cricket Conference, Commonwealth Cricket League, Eastern American
Cricket Association, New York Metropolitan and District Cricket
Association, Connecticut Cricket League, Massachusetts State Cricket
League, Southern Connecticut Cricket Association, California Cricket
Academy, California Cricket League, Northern California Cricket
Association, Sacramento Cricket Association, Florida Southeast Cricket
League, Georgia Supreme Cricket League, Mid Atlantic Cricket Conference,
Triangle Cricket League, Arizona Cricket Association, Greater Los
Angeles Cricket Association, Orange County Cricket Association, San
Diego Cricket League, Southern California Cricket Association.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria but was ruled eligible: 1 league – New York Cricket League.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria and was ruled ineligible:
8 leagues – Indoor Cricket USA, American Cricket Conference, Illinois
Cricket Board, International Cricket Management League, Colorado Cricket
League, Nassau New York Cricket Association, Bay Area Cricket Alliance,
Florida Cricket Conference.
Category five: Has identified all of the clubs (of which there are at
least 8) in their league, including names and contact information for
club presidents and each club has at least 15 active members
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria and was ruled eligible:
13 leagues – New Jersey Cricket Association, Washington Cricket League,
Washington Metropolitan Cricket Board, Great Lakes Cricket Conference,
Minnesota Cricket Association, Central Texas Cricket League, Houston
Cricket League, North Texas Cricket Association, Brooklyn Cricket
League, Northwest Cricket League, Atlanta Georgia Cricket Conference,
Central Florida Cricket Association, South Florida Cricket Alliance.
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria but was ruled ineligible:
16 leagues – Cricket League of New Jersey, Garden State Cricket League,
Millennium Cricket League, Michigan Cricket Association, Midwest
Cricket Conference, Eastern American Cricket Association, New York
Metropolitan and District Cricket Association, Connecticut Cricket
League, Massachusetts State Cricket League, Sacramento Cricket
Association, Florida Cricket Conference, Florida Southeast Cricket
League, Georgia Supreme Cricket League, Mid Atlantic Cricket Conference,
Triangle Cricket League, Southern California Cricket Association.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria but was ruled eligible: 2 leagues – American Cricket League, New York Cricket League.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria and was ruled ineligible:
16 leagues – Indoor Cricket USA, American Cricket Conference, Illinois
Cricket Board, International Cricket Management League, Colorado Cricket
League, Commonwealth Cricket League, Nassau New York Cricket
Association, Southern Connecticut Cricket Association, Bay Area Cricket
Alliance, California Cricket Academy, California Cricket League,
Northern California Cricket Association, Arizona Cricket Association,
Greater Los Angeles Cricket Association, Orange County Cricket
Association, San Diego Cricket League.
Category six: Has paid dues for all of its member clubs
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria and was ruled eligible:
8 leagues – Washington Cricket League, Minnesota Cricket Association,
Central Texas Cricket League, Houston Cricket League, American Cricket
League, Brooklyn Cricket League, Northwest Cricket League, Atlanta
Georgia Cricket Conference.
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria but was ruled ineligible:
6 leagues – Midwest Cricket Conference, Southern Connecticut Cricket
Association, California Cricket Academy, Georgia Supreme Cricket League,
Greater Los Angeles Cricket Association, Orange County Cricket
Association.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria but was ruled eligible:
7 leagues – New Jersey Cricket Association, Washington Metropolitan
Cricket Board, Great Lakes Cricket Conference, North Texas Cricket
Association, New York Cricket League, Central Florida Cricket
Association, South Florida Cricket Alliance.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria and was ruled ineligible:
26 leagues – Cricket League of New Jersey, Garden State Cricket League,
Indoor Cricket USA, Millennium Cricket League, American Cricket
Conference, Illinois Cricket Board, International Cricket Management
League, Michigan Cricket Association, Colorado Cricket League,
Commonwealth Cricket League, Eastern American Cricket Association,
Nassau New York Cricket Association, New York Metropolitan and District
Cricket Association, Connecticut Cricket League, Massachusetts State
Cricket League, Bay Area Cricket Alliance, California Cricket League,
Northern California Cricket Association, Sacramento Cricket Association,
Florida Cricket Conference, Florida Southeast Cricket League, Mid
Atlantic Cricket Conference, Triangle Cricket League, Arizona Cricket
Association, San Diego Cricket League, Southern California Cricket
Association.
Category seven: Is able to demonstrate competent financial controls, or
is willing to start to implement competent financial controls
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria and was ruled eligible:
13 leagues – New Jersey Cricket Association, Washington Cricket League,
Washington Metropolitan Cricket Board, Great Lakes Cricket Conference,
Minnesota Cricket Association, Central Texas Cricket League, Houston
Cricket League, North Texas Cricket Association, American Cricket
League, Brooklyn Cricket League, New York Cricket League, Northwest
Cricket League, Atlanta Georgia Cricket Conference.
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria but was ruled ineligible:
12 leagues – Garden State Cricket League, Millennium Cricket League,
Michigan Cricket Association, Midwest Cricket Conference, California
Cricket Academy, Sacramento Cricket Association, Florida Cricket
Conference, Florida Southeast Cricket League, Georgia Supreme Cricket
League, Triangle Cricket League, San Diego Cricket League, Southern
California Cricket Association.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria but was ruled eligible: 2 leagues – Central Florida Cricket Association, South Florida Cricket Alliance.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria and was ruled ineligible:
20 leagues – Cricket League of New Jersey, Indoor Cricket USA, American
Cricket Conference, Illinois Cricket Board, International Cricket
Management League, Colorado Cricket League, Commonwealth Cricket League,
Eastern American Cricket Association, Nassau New York Cricket
Association, New York Metropolitan and District Cricket Association,
Connecticut Cricket League, Massachusetts State Cricket League, Southern
Connecticut Cricket Association, Bay Area Cricket Alliance, California
Cricket League, Northern California Cricket Association, Mid Atlantic
Cricket Conference, Arizona Cricket Association, Greater Los Angeles
Cricket Association, Orange County Cricket Association.
Category eight: Has implemented, or is willing to start to implement, a formal youth development program
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria and was ruled eligible: 3 leagues – Great Lakes Cricket Conference, Brooklyn Cricket League, Central Florida Cricket Association.
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria but was ruled ineligible:
9 leagues – Cricket League of New Jersey, Garden State Cricket League,
Millennium Cricket League, Michigan Cricket Association, Midwest Cricket
Conference, New York Metropolitan and District Cricket Association,
Connecticut Cricket League, Massachusetts State Cricket League,
California Cricket Academy.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria but was ruled eligible:
12 leagues – New Jersey Cricket Association, Washington Cricket League,
Washington Metropolitan Cricket Board, Minnesota Cricket Association,
Central Texas Cricket League, Houston Cricket League, North Texas
Cricket Association, American Cricket League, New York Cricket League,
Northwest Cricket League, Atlanta Georgia Cricket Conference, South
Florida Cricket Alliance.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria and was ruled ineligible:
23 leagues – Indoor Cricket USA, American Cricket Conference, Illinois
Cricket Board, International Cricket Management League, Colorado Cricket
League, Commonwealth Cricket League, Eastern American Cricket
Association, Nassau New York Cricket Association, Southern Connecticut
Cricket Association, Bay Area Cricket Alliance, California Cricket
League, Northern California Cricket Association, Sacramento Cricket
Association, Florida Cricket Conference, Florida Southeast Cricket
League, Georgia Supreme Cricket League, Mid Atlantic Cricket Conference,
Triangle Cricket League, Arizona Cricket Association, Greater Los
Angeles Cricket Association, Orange County Cricket Association, San
Diego Cricket League, Southern California Cricket Association.
Category nine: Has implemented, or is willing to start to implement, a formal women’s development program
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria and was ruled eligible: 3 leagues – Great Lakes Cricket Conference, Brooklyn Cricket League, Central Florida Cricket Association.
Received a Yes for satisfying the criteria but was ruled ineligible:
5 leagues – Garden State Cricket League, Millennium Cricket League, New
York Metropolitan and District Cricket Association, Connecticut Cricket
League, Massachusetts State Cricket League.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria but was ruled eligible:
12 leagues – New Jersey Cricket Association, Washington Cricket League,
Washington Metropolitan Cricket Board, Minnesota Cricket Association,
Central Texas Cricket League, Houston Cricket League, North Texas
Cricket Association, American Cricket League, New York Cricket League,
Northwest Cricket League, Atlanta Georgia Cricket Conference, South
Florida Cricket Alliance.
Did not receive a Yes and as a result did not fully satisfy the criteria and was ruled ineligible:
27 leagues – Cricket League of New Jersey, Indoor Cricket USA, American
Cricket Conference, Illinois Cricket Board, International Cricket
Management League, Michigan Cricket Association, Midwest Cricket
Conference, Colorado Cricket League, Commonwealth Cricket League,
Eastern American Cricket Association, Nassau New York Cricket
Association, Southern Connecticut Cricket Association, Bay Area Cricket
Alliance, California Cricket Academy, California Cricket League,
Northern California Cricket Association, Sacramento Cricket Association,
Florida Cricket Conference, Florida Southeast Cricket League, Georgia
Supreme Cricket League, Mid Atlantic Cricket Conference, Triangle
Cricket League, Arizona Cricket Association, Greater Los Angeles Cricket
Association, Orange County Cricket Association, San Diego Cricket
League, Southern California Cricket Association.
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Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket
By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)
In the wake of USACA’s decision to bar 32 out of 47 member leagues
from voting in upcoming USACA elections, USACA board member Mark Sood
says that the decisions made to ban certain leagues and not others
lacked consistency and that “any reasoning with the board to make a
sensible decision didn’t go through anywhere.”
In an exclusive interview, Sood confirmed that he was one of only two
dissenting voices during most of the votes as he continuously voted to
keep leagues eligible while the majority of board members voted to make
leagues ineligible from voting. The only other board member who voted
with Sood on these issues at any time during the meeting was North West
Region representative Ajay Athavale. New York Region representative
Krish Prasad had earlier stated his views during the meeting that he did
not approve of how things were being organized and left in protest
before any votes were taken. South East Region representative Nasir
“Charlie” Javed did not attend the meeting and also was not a part of
any vote.
 According
to Sood, the board took individual votes on each of the 12 leagues in
“Group B” which were characterized by compliance auditor Robert Chance
as leagues that “could be considered eligible to vote, depending on
board decision.” Curiously though, Sood says that hardly any debate or
discussion took place to weigh the worthiness of each league to be voted
eligible or ineligible based on the evidence gathered by chance.
Instead, Sood claims that a straight vote was taken on each league and
mysteriously three leagues got approval while nine were not approved
despite the lack of discussion.
Image (right): Mark Sood [Courtesy: Travel Talk Radio]
According to documents obtained by DreamCricket from a source, the 12
leagues in Group B were Central Florida Cricket Association, Brooklyn
Cricket League, New York Cricket League, New York Metropolitan and
District Cricket Association, Florida Southeast Cricket League, Mid
Atlantic Cricket Conference, San Diego Cricket League, Northern
California Cricket Association, California Cricket Academy, Connecticut
Cricket League, Southern Connecticut Cricket League and Massachusetts
State Cricket League. Three leagues – Central Florida Cricket
Association, Brooklyn Cricket League and New York Cricket League
remained eligible while the other nine were voted to be ineligible in a
majority vote of the USACA board.
Sood says he was shocked when the board voted to allow the New York
Cricket League to remain eligible, despite the fact that the league
never paid membership dues to USACA in 2010. Meanwhile, the San Diego
Cricket League paid its league dues, albeit three days late. USACA
happily took the money from the SDCL but the board voted to rule the
league ineligible.
“I questioned the San Diego Cricket Association because the only
reason to not allow them was because they were late by three days,” said
Sood. “They completed everything else. Everything was proper but they
were just late by three days. I said if you’re going to make this
concession to Brooklyn Cricket League and New York Cricket League, why
would you not for the San Diego Cricket Association and I was voted
down.”
When Sood asked USACA president Gladstone Dainty why the New York
Cricket League was allowed to be eligible despite not paying dues in
2010, Sood responded by saying that “according to Mr. Dainty, they
allowed them not to pay and it was okay. The reason is they don’t have
any grounds to play on. So the league in actuality is defunct. If
they’re not playing any cricket, they don’t have any grounds... so what
good is it having them as members?”
Sood claims there was hardly any opportunity to press the claims of
legitimacy for the leagues in “Group C” which had 17 member leagues that
Chance said “should not be considered eligible to vote.”
“There were hardly any discussions,” said Sood. “If there were any
discussions, it was because of the points that I raised or Ajay raised.
There were absolutely no other things from anybody at all. Nobody asked
any questions to Mr. Chance other than me and Ajay. When it came to
individual leagues, all the regional directors were silent. All they
voted was yay or nay and that was the end of it. The only arguments were
for the South West Region or North West Region. That’s it.”
He was ultimately denied as Chance gave brief reasons why each league
was should be declared ineligible. There were four leagues from the
South West in Group C.
“Arizona, according to Mr. Chance, all clubs did not pay USACA dues
and the reason given that all clubs cannot afford fees is not
acceptable,” said Sood. “According to Mr. Chance, in 2010 and 2011, the
Arizona Cricket League had 14 clubs listed on their web site but they
only paid for eight. When he asked for a reason, he was told that not
all clubs can afford the fees for USACA which according to him is
unacceptable. For SCCA, 2010 and 2011, club lists did not match with the
web site. In 2010, the web site listed 38 whereas the dues were paid
for 36. In 2011, the web site lists 38 and dues were paid for 37.”
“I questioned him. Does he understand that it’s the clubs that are
members and not the teams? SCCA has various clubs that have multiple
teams so as long as the club is a member, that’s what could be the
discrepancy. He said he does understand that but he’s just going by what
it shows on the web site. San Diego got everything else. Only default
they had was late by three days and the board would not consider them.”
“GLACA is, Mr. Chance, the reason he gave is not enough players,
inconsistent rosters and accurate information has not been given. So not
enough players were members of the league, inconsistent rosters were
provided and not accurate information was given. They didn’t have enough
players. As for Orange County, he said problem with the meetings
according to the constitution and financial controls are not strong
enough. These were the two reasons.”
Overall, Sood says that the process was inadequate and that he was
particularly puzzled why exceptions were made for some leagues but not
for others. The same measuring stick was not consistently applied.
“If you are making concessions for one then you have to make
concessions for the others,” said Sood. “If there are 12 on the
borderline, which according to the attorney the board should consider,
and you only pick three out of them and not the other nine, it does not
make sense.”
Particularly confusing to Sood was how USACA could take money from
leagues without approving their eligibility beforehand. Now that they
have been ruled ineligible after the fact, Sood says USACA should return
the leagues their money and not wait for the leagues to take legal
action to force the money to be returned.
“You took money from them,” said Sood. “You accepted them as members
and now for the elections we come to a compliance process. Why did you
accept them before if they were not a member in good standing? It should
not have been accepted and I think the onus is on USACA to refund their
money. USACA should give their money back to all these leagues that are
ineligible.”
Sood was not against the compliance process, but says the timing of the audit was not right.
“We have situations from what I know that we have leagues that are
just paper leagues so the compliance process is required and is
necessary,” said Sood. “I think what I would question is the timing of
the compliance process. Is this the right time to do it just before the
elections? So what is the purpose of doing compliance before the
elections? Why was it not done earlier? The thing is if the
discrepancies are minor, should that be reason enough to bar these
leagues?”
Sood also wanted to take issue with Michael Gale, who Sood says was
responsible for writing the meeting minutes and the summary which
appeared on the USACA web site.
“I had asked for the meeting minutes and I am reading the summary
right now and I don’t know what this summary is. It’s not properly
recorded,” said Sood. “I had asked as a board member that the board, the
people that are voting the names for each league for each voting
process, they should be recorded. If I am voting yes, then my name
should go next to it. It’s within my rights to ask for it and I did ask
for it and it’s not recorded properly. And to say, I mean I’m reading
here in the minutes he’s saying, ‘The board expressed disappointment
that only one third of USACA membership is in good standing.’ That’s
nonsense. Everybody seemed very happy with it except me. I was the only
person who voiced that this is a sad day in cricket that out of the 47
leagues we only have 15 that are eligible and they changed it to, ‘The
board expressed disappointment.’ This is manipulating the minutes and
the procedure. It’s not complete and it’s missing important information.
It does not even record that I objected that we were not given
sufficient time to study Mr. Chance’s report.”
Sood says he never read the report ahead of Sunday morning’s board
meeting. The report was was sent out by Chance on Saturday night, 7:22
p.m. PST (10:22 p.m. EST). Sood was only aware that it was sent out when
he went to check the conference call password a few minutes before the
board meeting began. It was then that he saw an email from Chance.
“It’s a Saturday. I’m not checking my emails on a Saturday evening on
a weekend,” said Sood. “I was watching the India and Australia game
until 1 o’clock in the morning. So I went to sleep late and I just put
an alarm 10 minutes before the meeting to wake up and get online. So
just when I was checking emails to get the password for the call-in
number, that’s when I realized there was an email from Mr. Chance.”
“I asked Mr. Chance that he hasn’t given us sufficient time to study
his report. His report came to us on Saturday evening which is a
weekend, like late in the evening about 8 o clock and he expected us to
read it during the night, make any interrogations and be ready for a
meeting on Sunday morning? That did not give us sufficient time. The
second thing is that I asked him as to why his report is incomplete
because it did not give or list any leagues and why they were not, what
was lacking in compliance.”
Not only did Sood object to the amount of time in between receiving
Chance’s email and the start of the board meeting, but Prasad objected
as well and left the meeting in protest. Sood said he feels 48 hours
would have been adequate time to study the document sent by Chance
before commencing the meeting.
When USACA first vice-president Michael Gale was asked if he felt
adequate time was given for board members to review the document before
the meeting, he responded, “Can you actually tell me what the nature of
this question is? Is the nature of the question had members of the board
seen this information before and this is the first time or is the
nature of the question the members have not seen this information and
this is the first time?”
“Members of the board had received progressively over this audit
period, constant updates of the information relating to the audit
process. The information delivered to them that morning was marginally
different than information delivered progressively over the last weeks
and months through to this. So this was neither new, either in format or
in nature or in variables, and probably had some small variations
compared to previous documentation they’d been seeing. This is not the
first time they’d seen this information in this format with those
recommendations.”
Another concern from some stakeholders is the representation of
players from ineligible leagues in the US national team for the upcoming
2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE. Seven players – half the
squad – played in leagues in 2011 that USACA has deemed to be
illegitimate including Elmore Hutchinson (SCCA), Abhimanyu Rajp (SCCA),
Asif Khan (Midwest Cricket Conference), Nauman Mustafa (NCCA), Andy
Mohammed (Eastern American Cricket Association), Muhammad Ghous (Garden
State Cricket League) and vice-captain Aditya Mishra (Cricket League of
New Jersey).
When Gale was asked if their participation on the tour to the UAE
would be affected if they had played in leagues that were ruled
ineligible, Gale responded, “The eligibility relates to the electoral
process. There are still three statuses of leagues in this country.
Associate, affiliate and so on. I can’t answer the specifics of that.”
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