USA out to brush aside familiar foes and secure Cricket World Cup debut

The USA are set to step onto a global stage when they host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in partnership with the West Indies, but can bring that breakthrough appearance forward with a top-two finish in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023.

This is the USA’s best shot at securing a Cricket World Cup debut since they last played in a CWC Qualifier in 2005, but they will have to navigate a tough group to keep those hopes alive into the Super Six stage.

The USA are grouped with high-flying Nepal, and Netherlands and Zimbabwe outfits both boasting recent experience at a T20 World Cup, but will likely face their toughest test against familiar faces from the West Indies.

Top-order batter Aaron Jones started learning the game while living in Barbados, and is one of several in the USA line-up to have played much of his cricket against - and alongside - the Caribbean stars.

CWC Qualifier: All you need to know

“For me, it is just like playing against my friends,” Jones told the ICC.

“I grew up playing with the guys from Barbados – Shai Hope, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Roston Chase – and I played against some of the other guys, like Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell.

“Barbados was a great place to play cricket and there was a lot of competition. The club game and First Class game are both very competitive.

“We have played against the West Indian squad a lot. As a USA squad, we have been part of the List A competition in the Caribbean, so that has given us an idea of what to expect.

“I want to go hard and I want to win, for sure, but I will just have to treat it like another game. It will be a great occasion.”

Jones will play a key role for the USA after finishing the CWC League 2 campaign as the fourth-highest scorer with 1184 runs at an average of 42.28.

The 28-year-old also plundered his first ODI ton during the tournament with 123* from 87 balls that included six sixes and nine boundaries against Scotland in August last year.

The USA vice-captain has brought similar form to the CWC Qualifier in Zimbabwe, compiling 89 against Ireland in a tournament warm-up fixture earlier this week, as one of many to benefit from the growth in the game at home.

Six pivotal CWC Qualifier matches

“A lot has changed in terms of facilities and investment in cricket in the US since we were last playing at this level,” he said.

“There are more grass wickets around, as opposed to astro turf and matting, and the amount of quality players we have to play against has gone up.

“USA is not seen as a cricketing nation in terms of the world knowing about us playing but within the country, there are a lot of Indians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and people from the Caribbean, who all come from cricketing backgrounds from their previous countries.

“There is definitely a lot of support – I would say only behind India and Bangladesh – and we just want to make everybody back home proud.”

The USA might be set to host the T20 World Cup alongside West Indies next year, but Jones revealed that the team is solely focused on creating history much sooner in the coming weeks in Zimbabwe.

“In this team, I am the person to anchor the batting so I will take pride in doing that and getting my team to the World Cup,” Jones said.

“It would be great to grow the sport in our country and play in World Cups.

“Not only for ourselves – when we move on, we want to leave something behind for the youngsters to look up to. It is very important for us to have a legacy.”

All the squads - CWC Qualifier 2023

USA finished top of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off 2023 table, winning four of their five games in Namibia to seal their progress to the next stage ahead of UAE on net run rate.

They will now return to the CWC Qualifier for the first time in 18 years with hopes to progress to the showcase event in India later this year.

USA are yet to feature in an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup or ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

They made their ODI debut at the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy, losing out to star-studded Australia and New Zealand sides in the group stage.

West Indies, June 18 - Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
Nepal, June 20 - Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
Netherlands, June 22 - Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
Zimbabwe, June 26 - Harare Sports Club, Harare

Steven Taylor was key to USA’s success in the CWC Qualifier Play-Off, striking consecutive half-centuries against Papua New Guinea and Jersey as they took charge of the group.

Taylor scored his maiden ODI century against Nepal in June 2022 and will be looking forward to facing the same opponents in Zimbabwe.

Monank Patel (c), Aaron Jones (vc), Abhishek Paradkar, Ali Khan, Gajanand Singh, Jasdeep Singh, Kyle Philip,Nisarg Patel, Nostush Kenjige, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Saurabh Netravalkar, Shayan Jahangir, Steven Taylor, Sushant Modani, Usman Rafiq