The United States of America (USA) has made major changes in their One-day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) squad for their Netherlands tour. The former captain of the side, left-arm pacer Saurabh Netravalkar, has been given parental leave for the whole trip following the birth of his first child.
The wicket-keeper batter of the side, Andries Gous, has similarly been provided a break for the 50-over leg of the tour. However, the selection committee of the USA cricket board has started to look beyond, as they have dropped their left-arm pace bowling all-rounder, Corey Anderson, for the series after the latter showing poor form in recent times.
Monak Patel, who was injured for the lion’s share of the recent home T20 World Cup 2024, has made his return to the squad and is going to lead the team in both formats.
USA shows faith in young players for Netherlands tour
The left-arm spinning all-rounder Nisarg Patel, who was the only member from the 20-over World Cup squad to not feature in a single game for the entire event, has been displayed at the door. In his place, the selectors have included the leg-spinner Yasir Mohammad, who featured in a couple of T20Is for the team.
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The 21-year-old wrist spinner has picked up only three wickets in a small sample size of three innings at an economy of 7.72 and an average of 28.33. Delhi-born middle-order batter Milind Kumar didn’t enjoy a great time in the shortest format of the game, as he has just 50 runs in six innings at an average of 12.50 and a strike rate of 66.66.
This has resulted in his exclusion from the T20I series but has been included in the 50-over format. In 65 List-A games, the 33-year-old has managed to record 2023 runs at an average of 43.04 and a strike rate of 80.34, celebrating 18 half-centuries and one century, with the best score of an unbeaten 103-run knock.
Gous’ late ask for leave meant the former Indian U-19 wicket-keeper batter Smit Patel, who was fighting with the injuries later after a near-fatal car accident and was overlooked by the Major League Cricket (MLC) teams for the second season of the league, has been included for the 50-over format.
The 31-year-old USA batter has managed to score 1234 runs in 41 List-A innings, at an average of 32.47 and a strike rate of 71.91, celebrating eight half-centuries and a couple of centuries with a best score of 146.
Monak Patel, the captain of the USA side, has cracked 507 runs in 24 T20I innings, at an average of 23.04 and a strike rate of nearly 130, with three half-centuries, while in the ODIs, the wicket-keeper batter has collected 1446 runs in 47 innings, at an average of 32.86 and a strike rate of almost 80, enjoying ten fifties and a couple of centuries.
They will look to continue the success that they achieved in the last 20-over World Cup by reaching the ‘super eight’ stage of the event.
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USA’s ODI squad vs Netherlands
Monank Patel (Captain), Aaron Jones (Vice Captain), Smit Patel, Abhishek Paradkar, Harmeet Singh, Juanoy Drysdale, Jasdeep Singh, Milind Kumar, Nosthusha Kenjige, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Utkarsh Srivastava, Yasir Mohammad.
USA’s T20I squad vs Netherlands
Monank Patel (Captain), Aaron Jones (Vice Captain), Andries Gous, Abhishek Paradkar, Harmeet Singh, Juanoy Drysdale, Jasdeep Singh, Muhammad-Ali Khan, Nitish Kumar, Nosthusha Kenjige, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir, Utkarsh Srivastava, Yasir Mohammad.