The United States of America (USA) cricket team has unveiled their ODI squad for the upcoming World Cup League 2 (WCL-2) tri-series, set to begin on Friday. The selection committee has decided to stick with the same squad that successfully toured Namibia in September for the WCL-2 games. However, a notable exclusion from the squad is star batter Aaron Jones.
Aaron Jones dropped but not due to form or fitness
Notably, Jones’ omission from the squad was not due to concerns about his form or fitness. Instead, the decision stems from his choice to prioritize playing in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) over representing the national team.
Jones chose to skip the Namibia tour with the USA in favor of fulfilling his contract with the St. Lucia Kings in the CPL. This decision reportedly did not sit well with USA Cricket’s selection committee and management, particularly as it came despite ‘warnings’ from the cricket board.
While Jones was able to play in the CPL as a local player without needing a ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) from USA Cricket, the circumstances around his absence from the national team appear to have led to his exclusion.
Also READ: An Exclusive Interview with USA all-rounder Geetika Kodali: Role models, Fitness regime, favourite cricketing memories
Strong performances in Jones’ absence influenced decision
During the Namibia tour, the USA team thrived without Jones, remaining unbeaten across their four ODI games. The success of the squad in his absence may have strengthened the selectors’ resolve to make the bold call of dropping Jones. Although he was later recalled for the T20I series, thanks to his remarkable performance in the CPL final, Jones struggled during the Nepal T20I series last week, increasing the likelihood that his spot in the T20I team may also be under threat.
USA squad for WCL-2 Tri-series
Monank Patel (captain), Smit Patel, Sai Teja Mukkamalla, Milind Kumar, Shayan Jahangir, Andries Gous, Harmeet Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Saurabh Netravalkar, Juanoy Drysdale, Utkarsh Srivastava, Jasdeep Singh, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Yasir Mohammad, Sushant Modani
