The USA Cricket Team is writing history with every passing day. Once the match against Ireland was washed out due to rain, the hosts made it to the Super 8s. The crazy part is that this was the first time, the USA was participating in the T20 World Cup.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 co-hosts first thrashed Canada by 7 wickets in their opening game. A match later they went one step forward. The USA defeated 2009 T20 World Cup Champions Pakistan in a Super Over in Dallas. The Monank Patel-led side grabbed this golden opportunity with both hands.
The USA defeated Pakistan in a Super Over, leaving Babar Azam and company red-faced. Yes, the hosts suffered a defeat at the hands of Team India. However, the game wasn’t a walk in the park for Team India.
The USA cricket team will remember the Super 8s qualification for many years. After all, it is a dream start for the T20 World Cup debutants. Their close-knit performance at the ICC event has garnered a lot of attention, however, that doesn’t take away the fact that the country in itself is not recognising the magnitude of the victory over Pakistan.
As much as the USA presents itself as a global superpower, when it comes to cricket, they are a start-up in a world full of unicorns and corporate powerhouses.
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To begin with, the cricketers who represent the US do not earn enough from the sport or even have proper central contracts. Ever heard of daily wage workers? Exactly that’s the state of the US cricketers. This has been going on for some time now.
HOW MUCH DO THE US CRICKETERS EARN?
Seventeen players have signed central contracts with USA Cricket. Some players have one-year contracts, while others have three-month contracts. Here is the complete list of USA Cricket central contract players for 2021-22, along with their contract periods.
The salary details for USA Cricket team players have not been officially disclosed. The minimum annual wage rate is $15,080, the average wage rate is $70,000, and the highest salary can go up to $90,000.
USA Men’s Cricket Team Contract Details
| Name | Duration |
| Saurabh Netravalkar (c) | Three-month central contract |
| Steven Taylor (vc) | One year central contract |
| Karima Gore | Three-month central contract |
| Elmore Hutchinson | Three-month central contract |
| Aaron Jones | Three-month central contract |
| Nosthush Kenjige | Three-month central contract |
| Jaskaran Malhotra | Three-month central contract |
| Xavier Marshall | One year central contract |
| Monank Patel | One year central contract |
| Nisarg Patel | Three-month central contract |
| Sagar Patel | Three-month central contract |
| Timil Patel | Three-month central contract |
| Jasdeep Singh | One year central contract |
| Rusty Theron | Three-month central contract |
| Timroy Allen | N/A |
| Cameron Gannon | N/A |
| Ali Khan | N/A |
| Hayden Walsh Jr. | N/A |
| Elmore Hutchinson | N/A |
| Jannisar Khan | N/A |
| Roy Silva | N/A |
The Backstory
In June 2017, the ICC kicked out USACA due to governance and financing issues. USA Cricket took over, becoming an associate member in January 2019. They got full T20I status in April 2018. They played their first T20I match in March 2019 against the UAE.
Their best was 6th in the 2001 ICC Trophy. They won the ICC Americas Championship in 2002 and played their first-class match in the ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2004. Winning the ICC 6 Nations Challenge got them into the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy. They played their first ODI against New Zealand in September 2004.
In November 2021, the ICC announced the USA and West Indies would host the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Australia’s Stuart Law became their Head Coach before a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in May 2024.
Cricket & the USA – a budding relationship
The state of cricket in the USA is a bit like the situation of basketball in India. It won’t be wrong to say that cricket players in the USA in terms of recognition and perks are similar to that of the basketball players in India. So, if you’re dreaming of cricket stardom in the USA, be prepared for a life of modest celebrity and paychecks that won’t quite let you buy your own island.
It’s quite amusing, really, to see a country that excels in sports like the NFL, the NBA and others, where athletes are treated like royalty with extravagant pay contracts and top-notch care, do so little when it comes to cricket.
It’s as if cricket in the USA is the forgotten middle child of American sports. Being a cricketer in the USA is akin to being a daily wage worker—except without the job security, and sometimes even the wages! Imagine training hard every day, dreaming of hitting sixes and taking wickets, only to find out your paycheck barely covers your cricket bat.
It’s a bit like expecting a five-star meal and getting a hot dog instead.
USA CRICKET TEAM PLAYERS LIST
On July 21, 2019, it was reported that 17 players had been given central contracts by USA Cricket. Below is the list of all the players on the USA Cricket Team:
MEN’S USA CRICKET TEAM PLAYERS
| Player | Role | Batting Style | Bowling Style | Forms |
| Gajanand Singh | Batters | Left-handed | Left-arm medium | ODI & T20I |
| Aaron Jones | Batters | Right-handed | Right-arm leg spin | ODI & T20I |
| Sushant Modani | Batters | Right-handed | Right-arm off spin | ODI & T20I |
| Saiteja Mukkamalla | Batters | Right-handed | Right-arm off spin | ODI |
| Marty Kain | Batters | Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | T20I |
| Nisarg Patel | All-rounders | Right-handed | Right-arm off spin | ODI & T20I |
| Steven Taylor | All-rounders | Left-handed | Right-arm off spin | ODI & T20I |
| Vatsal Vaghela | All-rounders | Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | T20I |
| Monank Patel | Wicket-keepers | Right-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | ODI & T20I |
| Jaskaran Malhotra | Wicket-keepers | Right-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | ODI & T20I |
| Shayan Jahangir | Wicket-keepers | Right-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | ODI & T20I |
| Nosthush Kenjige | Spin bowlers | Left-handed | Right-arm off spin | ODI & T20I |
| Yasir Mohammad | Spin bowlers | Left-handed | Right-arm leg spin | ODI & T20I |
| Usman Rafiq | Spin bowlers | Right-handed | Right-arm off spin | ODI |
| Saurabh Netravalkar | Pace bowlers | Right-handed | Left-arm medium | ODI & T20I |
| Cameron Stevenson | Pace bowlers | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | ODI & T20I |
| Ali Khan | Pace bowlers | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | ODI & T20I |
| Rusty Theron | Pace bowlers | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | ODI & T20I |
| Jasdeep Singh | Pace bowlers | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | ODI & T20I |
| Siva Kumar | Pace bowlers | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | T20I |
| Kyle Phillip | Pace bowlers | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | ODI |
| Abhishek Paradkar | Pace bowlers | Left-handed | Left-arm medium | ODI |
USA CRICKET TEAM PLAYERS’ SALARY
Seventeen players have signed central contracts with USA Cricket. Some players have one-year contracts, while others have three-month contracts. Here is the complete list of USA Cricket central contract players for, along with their contract periods.
The salary details for USA Cricket team players have not been officially disclosed. The minimum annual wage rate is $15,080, the average wage rate is $70,000, and the highest salary can go up to $90,000
| Saurabh Netravalkar (c) | Three-month central contract |
| Steven Taylor (vc) | One year central contract |
| Karima Gore | Three-month central contract |
| Elmore Hutchinson | Three-month central contract |
| Aaron Jones | Three-month central contract |
| Nosthush Kenjige | Three-month central contract |
| Jaskaran Malhotra | Three-month central contract |
| Xavier Marshall | One year central contract |
| Monank Patel | One year central contract |
| Nisarg Patel | Three-month central contract |
| Sagar Patel | Three-month central contract |
| Timil Patel | Three-month central contract |
| Jasdeep Singh | One year central contract |
| Rusty Theron | Three-month central contract |
| Timroy Allen | N/A |
| Cameron Gannon | N/A |
| Ali Khan | N/A |
| Hayden Walsh Jr. | N/A |
| Elmore Hutchinson | N/A |
| Jannisar Khan | N/A |
| Roy Silva | N/A |
N/A – Not Available
USA CRICKET TEAM COACHING STAFFS
| Position | Name |
| Head Coach – Men’s | Stuart Law |
| Head Coach – Women’s | Charlotte Dickinson (interim) |
| Chairman | Venu Pisike |
| CEO | Noor Mohammad Murad |
HOW TO JOIN USA CRICKET TEAM?
The United States Cricket team has made significant progress in recent years. Interestingly, many players on the team were not born in the USA but still qualified to play for the team.
You can join the United States Cricket team if you meet the following eligibility criteria:
ELIGIBILITY
– You should be born in the USA, or
– You need to be a resident of the USA for more than three years.
Many players like Unmukt Chand, Corey Anderson, and Saurabh Netravalkar who were not born in the USA or are not originally from the USA have joined the team because they have been living in the country for over three years.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye.
