USA announce squad for their first-ever T20I match

The two-match series will begin on March 15 and will kick-off a tour of Dubai which will also see them take part in a number of 50-over matches as they prepare for the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 in April

USA Cricket have named the 14-man squad for their historic first-ever T20 international series against the UAE.

The two-match series will begin on March 15 and will kick-off a tour of Dubai which will also see them take part in a number of 50-over matches as they prepare for the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 in April.

The tournament will feature six countries with the top four at the end of the competition being given one-day international status and progressing to the ICC World Cricket Cup League 2 starting in July 2019.

There are two changes to the squad which qualified at the ICC World Cricket League Division 3 in November, with Xavier Marshall and Jasdeep Singh replacing Alex Amsterdam and Nisarg Patel.

Among the squad is bowler Ali Khan who took 16 wickets at 20.81 for the Trinbago Knight Riders as they won the 2018 Caribbean Premier League.

^{Ali Khan}

He is the only member of the side in the T20 Player Index, sitting at number 328, just above the much-vaunted Shimron Hetmyer at 329.

The full squad: Saurabh Netravalkar*, Elmore Hutchinson, Aaron Jones, Notshush Kenjige, Muhammad Ali Khan, Jan Nisar-Khan, Jaskaran Malhotra, Xavier Marshall, Monank Patel, Timil Patel, Roy Silva, Jasdeep Singh, Steven Taylor, Hayden Walsh Jr.

USA chairman of selectors Ricardo Powell said: "This was a particularly difficult squad to select for the USA Selection Panel as we are blessed with a large group of talented cricketers across the country at the moment. 

"We see the UAE tour as being the perfect preparation for ICC World Cricket League 2 and the make-up of this squad has been picked squarely with the focus on the ultimate goal of One Day International status and progression from World Cricket League Division 2 in Namibia."