Photo courtesy: Peter Della Penna

Seven USA national team representatives were among those taken in the 2019 Global T20 Canada franchise draft on Thursday. 

By DreamCricket Staff
 
USA fast bowler Ali Khan was the first of seven USA players taken in the 2019 Global T20 Canada draft, which was held on Thursday in Mumbai.
 
Khan, who last year represented Winnipeg Hawks, was snapped up before the start of the draft as a “retained” player despite swapping teams and moving to Vancouver Knights. USA’s pace spearhead was snapped up for his $25,000 reserve price, a significant pay rise from last year when he was with the Hawks. He will be teammates at the defending champion Knights alongside Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Tim Southee, Rassie van der Dussen and Saad Bin Zafar, the player of the match from last year’s tournament final win over West Indies B.
 
Khan was the joint-third most expensive Associate player in the draft. Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane fetched the highest price tag, going for $60,000 to Toronto Nationals, making a switch from Montreal Tigers. Lamichhane will be teammates with Yuvraj Singh, named as a marquee player for the Nationals at the start of the draft. UAE fast bowler Muhammad Naveed was taken for $30,000 by Montreal Tigers while Naveed’s teammate Shaiman Anwar claimed $25,000 from Winnipeg Hawks. Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer and his national teammate Richie Berrington also claimed $25,000 each from Tigers and Edmonton Royals respectively.
 
Hayden Walsh Jr. became the second USA player taken in the draft, going in the 10^th round in the first round of Associate player picks. Walsh Jr. was also taken by Knights, for a $3,000 reserve price. The other three Associate players taken by Knights were Tobias Visee and Michael Rippon of Netherlands and JJ Smit of Namibia, who was Player of the Tournament at WCL Division Two in Namibia last April.
 
The other five USA players were all taken in the ICC Americas designated round. Fast bowler Kyle Phillip was the first selection by Edmonton Royals going for his $3,000 reserve price. Phillip makes a switch from Winnipeg Hawks where he was teammates with Khan last year.
 
Montreal Tigers then chose Steven Taylor with the second pick of the round for a $3,000 reserve price. It’s a consolation for Taylor after he went undrafted in the Caribbean Premier League draft in May. Following Taylor, the Nationals drafted medium pacer Jessy Singh, his first opportunity in T20 franchise cricket.
 
Brampton Wolves, the sixth and newest franchise in this year’s Global T20 Canada, initially tried to draft West Indies World Cup squad member Fabian Allen before being informed that he is not an ICC Americas player. They then used their pick on legspinner Timil Patel for $4,000. Timil last played franchise T20 cricket for St Lucia Stars in the CPL in 2017.
 
The final pick of the ICC Americas round was somewhat of a stunner as Sunny Sohal was taken for a whopping $15,000. Sohal has not played any competitive cricket since tearing ligaments in his left knee in a USA training session in October at the CWI Regional Super50 in Barbados. He had reconstructive knee surgery on November 7. Aside from having represented Kings XI Punjab and Deccan Chargers in the IPL, Sohal was a squad member of Barbados Tridents in the 2018 Caribbean Premier League and played two matches, making scores of 17 and 22. 
 
This year’s tournament is scheduled to begin on July 25. All matches are expected to be played in Brampton, Ontario, about 40 km west of downtown Toronto. But a specific venue has yet to be finalized.
 
Among those USA players who went undrafted were Fahad Babar, Karthik Gattepalli, Aaron Jones, Nosthush Kenjige, Ibrahim Khaleel, Jaskaran Malhotra, Monank Patel, Nisarg Patel, Sagar Patel (all at $3,000 reserve price); Adil Bhatti, Elmore Hutchinson, Roy Silva ($4,000 reserve price); and Usman Rafiq ($7,000 reserve price).