Anderson is omitted and Netravalkar is rested as USA has implemented major changes for Netherlands tour
Beginning a new chapter after their historic World Cup campaign, USA Cricket has announced significant changes to their ODI and T20I squads for the Netherlands tour.
Notably, Saurabh Netravalkar, the standout player from the T20 World Cup, will miss the tour as he has been granted parental leave following the birth of his first child.
Similarly, wicketkeeper-batsman Andries Gous, another World Cup standout, will also miss the ODI leg of the tour for the same reason.
In addition to Netravalkar, the selection committee has made four more changes to the T20 World Cup squad.
Corey Anderson has been dropped after a lackluster performance with the bat, despite a recent match-winning 59* in the MLC (Major League Cricket).
Left-arm spinning all-rounder Nisarg Patel has been excluded after being benched throughout the World Cup, paving the way for wrist spinner Yasir Mohammad, who has previously played two T20Is for the USA.
Middle-order batsman Milind Kumar has been removed from the T20I squad following a poor run, though he remains in the ODI squad due to his impressive List A average in India.
Fast bowling all-rounder Shadley Van Schalkwyk has also been dropped from the T20I squad but included in the ODI setup for the first time.
Selectors have retained young opening batsman Sai Teja Mukkamalla, who has been a regular in the ODI squad and made a notable impact with an unbeaten hundred against the UAE in 2022.
However, the selection of 17-year-old Utkarsh Srivastava for both formats over experienced players like Sanjay Krishnamurthy and Ali Sheikh is puzzling, given their recent performances in senior cricket.
Krishnamurthy recently impressed with 79* off 42 balls for the Unicorns in the MLC.
Gous’ late request for parental leave for the ODI series has inadvertently opened the door for Smit Patel, a former India U19 wicketkeeper-batsman who has battled injuries but excelled in the Houston Cricket League this year.
The omission of Unmukt Chand, who scored two half-centuries in domestic cricket, raises questions about the MLC’s status as a premier pathway tournament.
Similarly, the inclusion of Abhishek Paradkar over Minor League bowlers like Corne Dry and Stephen Wiig, who have been strong performers at the Minor League level, is contentious.
The status of US citizens living abroad, such as Cameron Gannon and Brody Couch, remains uncertain.
USA Cricket chairman Venu Pisike has indicated that a clear policy is needed and discussions are underway to establish criteria for selection.
ODI Squad:
| Player Name |
|---|
| Monank Patel (Captain) |
| Aaron Jones (Vice-Captain) |
| Smit Patel |
| Abhishek Paradkar |
| Harmeet Singh |
| Juanoy Drysdale |
| Jasdeep Singh |
| Milind Kumar |
| Nosthush Kenjige |
| Saiteja Mukkamalla |
| Steven Taylor |
| Shayan Jahangir |
| Shadley Van Schalkwyk |
| Utkarsh Srivastava |
| Yasir Mohammad |
T20I Squad:
| Player Name |
|---|
| Monank Patel (Captain) |
| Aaron Jones (Vice-Captain) |
| Andries Gous |
| Abhishek Paradkar |
| Harmeet Singh |
| Juanoy Drysdale |
| Jasdeep Singh |
| Muhammad Ali Khan |
| Nitish Kumar |
| Nosthush Kenjige |
| Saiteja Mukkamalla |
| Steven Taylor |
| Shayan Jahangir |
| Utkarsh Srivastava |
| Yasir Mohammad |
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