File photo credit: Peter Della Penna

USA Women's allrounder Sugetha Kalyanaraman Chandhrasekar will be spending the next week in the UK as part of the ICC Women's Global Development Squad as part of preparation for the Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier in August. 

By DreamCricket Staff
 
USA Women’s allrounder Sugetha Kalyanaraman Chandhrasekar has been named in a 12-player ICC Women’s Global Development Squad that will be touring the UK to play a total of six T20 matches beginning July 29. The squad is captained by Pakistan’s Javeria Khan and is comprised of players from eight different countries with Chandhrasekar the only USA representative in the group.

The California-based 28-year-old Chandhrasekar played a key role in the USA Women's squad achieving a clean-sweep over Canada in the three-match Women's T20I series held in Florida this past May that culminated in USA securing a berth to the Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier in Scotland from August 31-September 7. Chandhrasekar opened the batting in USA's 10-wicket win on the opening day, making 15 not out in a 66-run unbroken stand with Erica Rendler. She also made 32 off 49 balls opening the batting in USA's total of 113 for 6 in the series clinching win a day later. Her legspin was not needed but she took a catch and also completed a runout in the field for USA. 
 
The squad was supposed to have four representatives from Zimbabwe but they were withdrawn from the WGDS when Zimbabwe Cricket was suspended at the ICC Annual Conference earlier this month in London.
 
This is the third time an ICC WGDS has been organized, following touring squads that were assembled by the ICC to tour England in July 2018 and Australia in November 2018.
 
“The Women’s Global Development squads play a key role in the spread of the game,” said ICC women’s cricket manager Holly Colvin. “They enable high-performing players from outside the top eight teams to develop their skills and bridge the gap with leading players of the generation. The ICC Women’s Championship has enriched the quality of the game for the eight leading teams and it is important that we now bridge the gap between them and the next best teams.
 
The WGDS will play two T20s per day on July 29, July 31 and August 2. The first day of games will take place against an England Women’s Academy Squad at Cranleigh CC in Surrey. The pair of games on July 31 will be played against Kia Women’s Super League teams. The WGDS take on Southern Vipers in the morning and Surrey Stars in the afternoon at Aldershot CC in Hampshire. The final pair of T20s on August 2 will be at New Malden CC in Surrey with the WGDS taking on Surrey Stars in the morning and Southern Vipers in the afternoon.
 
The WGDS squad: Javeria Khan (Pakistan, captain), Jahanara Alam, Fargana Hoque (both Bangladesh), Christina Gough (Germany), Celeste Raack (Ireland), Denise van Deventer (Netherlands), Brenda Tau, Ravini Oa (both PNG), Abtaha Maqsood, Hannah Rainey, Becky Glen (all Scotland), Sugetha Kalyanaraman Chandhrasekar (USA). Coach: Michael Ndiko (Uganda); Mentor coach: Laura Macleod (England).