Saurabh Netravalkar has made his return to the international cricket for the Namibia tour

Saurabh Netravalkar, who gained prominence during the T20 World Cup, is set to return to international cricket after missing the USA’s tour of the Netherlands in August due to parenting responsibilities.

However, the 33-year-old fast bowler will only participate in the ODI leg of the Namibia tour, as he has been granted leave from the T20I series for similar reasons.

Netravalkar’s absence opens the door for 21-year-old left-arm seamer Ayan Desai, who earned his first T20I call-up.

Desai, the U23 pick for the Seattle Orcas, made a strong impression in his sole game during the MLC, taking 2 for 30, including key wickets of Devon Conway and Marcus Stoinis, against the Texas Super Kings.

USA will also be without vice-captain Aaron Jones, who has opted to prioritize his CPL commitments with St Lucia Kings.

Meanwhile, Andries Gous, who faced a similar dilemma while playing for the Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL, has chosen to prioritize his international duties.

Gous is now set to make his ODI debut in Namibia after earning a place in the squad.

Former captain Steven Taylor has been ruled out of the tour due to injury, an unfortunate setback amid a prolonged slump in form.

The left-hander hasn’t reached fifty in his last 13 international innings, with top-order batsmen like Sai Teja Mukkamalla and Smit Patel increasing the competition.

Smit, rewarded with a T20I spot after impressing in the Netherlands ODIs with two half-centuries in four games, continues to put pressure on Taylor’s place.

Milind Kumar, who impressed with his all-round performance on the Netherlands tour, returns to the T20I squad despite being dropped after the T20 World Cup.

Sushant Modani, 35, makes a surprising return to the ODI squad after a year, despite remaining undrafted in both MLC seasons.

His selection over notable performers in MLC, such as Shehan Jayasuriya, Unmukt Chand, and Sanjay Krishnamurthy, has raised eyebrows.

The exclusion of top MLC performers points to an increasing rift between USA Cricket and MLC’s selection ideologies.

USA Cricket seems to favor players emerging from domestic club cricket, while overlooking standout performers from MLC and Minor League Cricket, a practice that many see as biased and problematic.