USA Cricket Academy team comprising some of USA's best players in the U-19 age group will be traveling to Gujarat, India.

The ban imposed on USA by ICC rendered the USA U-19 team ineligible to defend its title in the Americas Cup Under-19 championship this year. Bermuda won as a result and this has opened up great opportunities for the small island nation.

For reasons out of the control of USA's junior cricketers, these promising young cricketers have been denied opportunities at the international level.

However, there is a silver lining to this cloud, if one can call it that. Just as a representative U-15 team is going to India in an inspiring tour organized by California Cricket Academy, another team comprising some of USA's best U-19 players will be traveling to Gujarat, India in a tour organized by the USA Cricket Academy of New Jersey. This team, which also features a handful of more experienced cricketers who are over 19 years old, will play eight games at some of the best cricket stadiums in Gujarat.

These two organizations - CCA and USA Cricket Academy, and the academies and leagues that support them, have attempted to give the next generation of USA cricketers opportunities to play at the highest level possible. The tremendous success of CCA in this regard is well documented on Dreamcricket.com.

Here is a brief story of the USA Cricket Academy, which has won acclaim for the promotion of cricket in the American region.

The USA Cricket Academy was first established in 1999 under the leadership of Ashok Patel. Ashok Patel is a well known name in New Jersey and USA cricket circles. In 2001, Ashok Patel conducted the first ever national Under 15 tournament in New Jersey under the able guidance of Clive Lloyd. The following year, the Academy conducted its first U-15 tour of Barbados. Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge coached the team. The Academy followed that up with a tour of Trinidad and Tobago. The USA Cricket Academy helped to take an U-19 team to T&T in 2003.

In 2004, a team from USA Cricket Academy was invited to participate in the British Gas Tournament in Trinidad and in the Sir Garfield Sobers Under 19 tournament in Barbados. In 2005, the Academy was recognized by International Cricket Council for its accomplishments in the field of development of cricket in the Americas Region from 2002-2005. The same year, Ashok Patel was recognized by the Hall of Fame committee in Connecticut and presented the award of excellence for developing cricket by Sunil Gavaskar.

During 2006, Ashok Patel was selected to be the Manager of the USACA National team to participate in the Under 19 World Cup in Sri Lanka. As part of this tour, the team played some warm-up games in Hyderabad, India.

The U-19 Team traveling to India:

[Enclosed in parentheses is the highest level of cricket that player has played - Compiled by Arun Vittala]

1. Akeem Dodson (USA Under 19 National Team)
2. Dhiren Patel (USA Under 15 National Team)
3. Dineth Ketagoda (USA Under 19 National Tournament)
4. Alexandrino kirton (USA Under 19 National Team)
5. Dominic Audain (USA Under 19 National Team)
6. Nisarg Patel (USA Under 19 National Team)
7. Dhruv mehra (USA Under 15 National Team)
8. Brijesh Patel (USA Under 19 National Team (Reserve))
9. Kartik Vittala (USA Under 15 National Team)
10. Anvit Patel (USA Under 15 National Team)
11. Saquib Salim (USA Under 19 National Tournament)
12. Matthew Hivner (USA Under 19 National Tournament)
13. Gregory Sewdial (USA Under 19 National Tournament)
14. Arpan Patel (USA Under 19 National Tournament)
15. Shalin Naik (USA Under 15 National Tournament)


OFFICIALS

Coach: Chirag Patel
Manager: Ashok Patel
USACA Official: Selwyn Caesar
Tour Coordinator: Ray Timbalwala
Media Relations Manager: Arun Vittala

Itinerary

Thursday 20th Dec 2007:
- Depart from New Jersey, USA (9:00pm EST)

Saturday 22nd Dec 2007:
- Arrive at Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India (2:40am IST)
- Rest Day & Press Conference in evening

Sunday 23rd Dec 2007
- Travel to Vapi, Gujarat
- Practice & Rest Day

Monday 24th Dec 2007
One Day Match @ Bilakhiya Ground, Vapi
Travel to Surat, Gujarat after game

Tuesday 25th Dec 2007
One Day Match @ Lal Bhai Contractor Stadium, Surat

Wednesday 26th Dec 2007
One Day Match @ Lal Bhai Contractor Stadium, Surat

Thursday 27th Dec 2007
- Travel to Vadodara, Gujarat in morning
- Practice & Rest Day

Friday 28th Dec 2007
- One Day Match @ Vadodara Stadium

Saturday 29th Dec 2007
- One Day Match @ Shastri Maidan Ground, Anand
- Travel to Ahmedabad, Gujarat after game

Sunday 30th Dec 2007
- One Day Match @ Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

Monday 31st Dec 2007
- Practice & Rest Day

Tuesday 1st Jan 2008
- One Day Match @ Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

Wednesday 2nd Jan 2008
- One Day Match @ Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

Thursday 3rd Jan 2008
- Rest Day
- Travel to Ahmedabad Airport (late night)

Friday 4th Jan 2008
- Depart from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India (3:50am IST)
- Arrive to New Jersey, USA (4:30pm EST)