Several surprises are in a 14-man squad selected for USA as they attempt to become repeat champions of the ICC Americas Division One Tournament at the end of the month in Bermuda.

Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket

By Peter Della Penna

Comments

Several surprises are in a 14-man squad selected for USA as they attempt to become repeat champions of the ICC Americas Division One Tournament at the end of the month in Bermuda. Six new players will be in the squad, including two players from USA’s 2010 U-19 World Cup squad in New Zealand. The squad will be coached by Clayton Lambert and managed by Imran Khan with Akhtar Masood “Chik” Syed going along as the team physio.

Pic (Right): Andy Mohammed hooks on his way to a heroic 70 in the match against Australia [Picture Courtesy: Daniela Zaharia]

Andy Mohammed, Muhammad Ghous, Ashhar Mehdi, Bilal Khan, Adrian Gordon and Moazzam Imtiaz are the fresh faces who will be representing USA from May 29-June 7 in Bermuda to play a series of 50-over matches followed by a two-day Twenty20 tournament against Canada, Argentina, Cayman Islands, Bahamas and the host team.  Several of the matches will be telecast live on Fresh TV (www.Fresh.bm).

The group of 14 will also be playing two matches against Jamaica in Florida on May 21 and 22 prior to departing for Bermuda. Glen Hall, Clain Williams, Saurabh Verma, Usman Shuja, Kevin Darlington, Sudesh Dhaniram and Imran Awan are the members from February’s touring squad that will not be traveling to Bermuda.

Ghous and Mohammed will be the youngest players in the new look squad. Ghous turned 20 on the first day of the trials that took place in New York on April 24-25 while Mohammed is still a teenager at 19. Ghous had an impressive 3.77 economy rate bowling off-spin in New Zealand while Mohammed produced USA’s highest individual batting performances at the U-19 World Cup Qualifier in Toronto as well as the main event, scoring 90 against Afghanistan in September and 70 against Australia in January. The addition of Mohammed also gives the team another sorely needed left-handed batsman as Sushil Nadkarni was the only one in USA’s touring squad to the UAE and Nepal.

Ghous will be relied upon to fill the role of containing off-spinner formerly occupied by 43-year-old Dhaniram, who is still recovering after a broken finger sustained while diving for a catch vs. Singapore at the World Cricket League Division Five. The leg-spinner Verma suffered a back injury playing against the MCC in California in March and more recently broke a finger playing in a North West Cricket League match so was unavailable for selection. Mohammed comes in for Hall, who has a nagging leg injury, and Williams.

Ashhar Mehdi has been included as a wicketkeeper. The 34-year old from the Central East Region had the highest score at USACA Nationals in November with 80 in a losing cause versus New York in the championship match. He will provide relief behind the stumps for Carl Wright, who battled with a hand injury in Nepal, and for Orlando Baker who will be able to focus more on bowling and batting after having to keep wicket in Nepal due to Wright’s injury.

Bilal Khan makes the cut along with Adrian Gordon in a new look fast bowling attack. The 28-year-old Khan was never far from selectors thoughts after impressing with 9 wickets in three matches bowling right-arm fast-medium for the North West Region at the Western Conference Tournament in Minneapolis, Minn., last year. Gordon, a 22-year-old international student at NYU-Poly, took three wickets against the South East Region in the Eastern Conference Tournament in Washington, D.C., last July and is currently one of the fastest bowlers in the country. Darlington is unavailable due to work and Shuja because of graduation from Kellogg.

Pic (Left): Muhammad Asad Ghous [Courtesy: Daniela Zaharia]

Awan’s non-selection is believed to be a result of his poor performances in February. Of the nine bowlers USA used in Nepal, Awan had the most wides bowled (15) in his 13 overs.  His fielding was erratic and he dropped numerous chances which frustrated his teammates.

The most curious selection is that of Moazzam Imtiaz, especially ahead of players such as Ravi Timbawala and Akeem Dodson. The non-selection of Timbawala and Dodson, members of USA’s 2006 U-19 World Cup squad, means that there are still no American-born players in the squad.

Imtiaz only played one of three matches for South East at the Eastern Conference Tournament in 2009 and was not in the November 40-man list of probables for selection to represent USA on the tour of the UAE and Nepal. He played for the South East versus the MCC in March, coming in at number 10 in the Twenty20 match to score 1 run and did not bowl.

In the 50-over game, he was the seventh bowler used, bowling three overs of medium pace for 14 runs without taking a wicket and scored 11 not out coming in at number eight. Imtiaz is currently ranked 31st in the top run scorers column for the Florida Southeast Cricket League (FSCL) with 171 runs and a high score of 51 to go along with 5 wickets in eight matches.

Imtiaz plays for Coconut Creek Vikings in his league, a team that is captained by FSCL president Rizwan Mohammed and vice-captained by former USA player and South East Region USACA Board member Nasir “Charlie” Javed.   

USA squad: Steve Massiah (captain, NY), Ashhar Mehdi (wk, Central East), Carl Wright (wk, NY), Timroy Allen (South East), Orlando Baker (Central West), Lennox Cush (NY), Muhammad Ghous (Atlantic), Adrian Gordon (Atlantic), Moazzam Imtiaz (South East), Bilal Khan (North West), Rashard Marshall (New York), Andy Mohammed (North East), Sushil Nadkarni (Central West), Aditya Thyagarajan (South West).

Manager: Imran Khan

Coach: Clayton Lambert

Physio: Akhtar “Chik” Masood Syed

National Team Selectors: Abrar Ahmad (Western Region), Mohammad Sunny Khan (Central East Region), Sew Shivnarine (New York Region).