The time in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2024 for the champion Saint Lucia Kings hasn’t proved to a good fortune for Aaron Jones, who has now been axed from the squad of the United States of America (USA) for the World Cup League 2 (WCL-2) tri-series, which will begin on Friday (October 25).
The selection panel decided to retain the same squad that toured Namibia for the WCL-2 in September, that Aaron Jones missed for the national side due to giving weight to his CPL contract with the Kings, who ended up winning the title in the final. The reports have claimed that the decision has sparked a fire in the committee despite warning.
The batter, however, featured as a local player in the competition and didn’t need a ‘No Objection Clearance’ from the United States of America. By contrast, Andries Gous, who cut short his engagement with the Trinbago Knight Riders to be able to make his presence for the Namibia tour, has retained his place.
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Aaron Jones was part of the ODI game, last time against the Netherlands side in August. In 47 games of the 50-over format, the batter has cracked 1574 runs at an average of 35.77 and a strike rate of over 70, with the help of 11 half-centuries and one century at a best score of unbeaten 123 runs.
USA announces squad for WCL-2 without Aron Jones for picking club over country
The reason of USA is unbeaten in the four ODIs in Namibia has worked against the selection of Aaron Jones as the selectors have decided to go with a bold call. The batter was recalled for the T20I series on the back of his CPL final heroics but, it’s likely for him to lose the spot because of his long rope of low scores in the Nepal games last week.
In 39 T20Is, Aaron Jones has clubbed 621 runs at an average of 23 and a strike rate of over 110, with the help of just a couple of half-centuries at a best score of unbeaten 94 runs. While, in the T20s, the top order batter has smashed 705 runs in 50 games at a strike rate of the same corridor.
It has also been a day of agony for the young Sanjay Krishnamurthy, who has been the flavor of the American cricket summer on the back of his exploits in the Major and Minor League with a superb knock of unbeaten 167 runs for the USA-A side that toured Scotland. In an exhibition of his fitness, he braved the Dallas heat to get the tall ask of 341 runs to his comeback on the national side.
Aaron Jones, who made his debut in 2019 and has been a part of the side for nearly five years, will be eager now to go back to the domestic circuit and score so many runs to make his return to the side.
The first game for the Monak Patel-led side will take place on October 25 at the Prairie View Cricket Complex against Scotland before they face Nepal on October 27 at the same ground. They will look to extend their unbeaten run and continue to improve in the format.
United States of America Squad For WCL-2
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