USA has announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier, which will take place in Zimbabwe from June 18 to July 9. Monank Patel has been appointed captain of the team during the tournament. The USA team earned their place in the qualifier after securing the top position in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff held in Namibia earlier this year.
Aaron Jones to Serve as Deputy Captain
Aaron Jones has been chosen as the deputy captain to support Monank Patel in leading the USA team. The squad also features left-arm pacer Abhishek Paradkar, who will be stepping in for Ian Holland, as he will be unavailable due to his county championship commitments with Hampshire in England.
Ali Khan's absence for initial matches
Pacer Ali Khan, who topped the wicket-taking chart in the Qualifier Playoff with 16 scalps, including an impressive haul of 7/42 against Jersey, will miss the first two matches of the Cricket World Cup Qualifier for USA. This is a consequence of Khan receiving a demerit point during the final game at the Qualifier Playoff for animated exchanges with Jersey players. According to Article 7.6 of the Code, Khan's accumulated demerit points led to a two-match suspension, regardless of the format.
Group composition and qualification process
USA has been placed in Group A for the tournament alongside West Indies, Zimbabwe, Netherlands, and Nepal. Each team will play the others in their group once, with the top three teams from each group advancing to the Super Six stage. In the Super Six, the teams will face the sides they didn't encounter in the group stage.
Points system and final qualification
All points earned in the group stage will be carried over to the Super Six stage, except for those obtained against teams that fail to progress to the Super Six. The two top teams following the Super Six stage will compete in the final and secure qualification for the main ODI World Cup event in India. Notably, the use of the Decision Review System (DRS) will be implemented for all matches starting from the Super Six stage onwards.
Complete USA squad
The USA squad for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier includes Monank Patel (captain), Aaron Jones (vice-captain), Abhishek Paradkar, Ali Khan, Gajanand Singh, Jasdeep Singh, Kyle Philip, Nisarg Patel, Nostush Kenjige, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Saurabh Netravalkar, Shayan Jahangir, Steven Taylor, Sushant Modani, and Usman Rafiq.
