USACA president hopeful men’s team will do well in Italy

Gladstone Dainty, the President of the United States of America Cricket Association, has been in the game long enough to draw a line between administration and the playing side of cricket.

While the face of success of USACA is reflected by the performance of the senior men’s team, Dainty’s first responsibility is to make sure that everything runs to plan from the administrative side so the players can perform at their highest level.

Even so Dainty keeps a close eye on what is happening on the field even though he has all the confidence he needs in captain Steve Massiah, coach Clayton Lambert and manager Imran Khan.

Over the past two weeks he has spoken to Lambert, Khan and Massiah about the team’s performance in the International Cricket Conference World Cricket League Division Four Tournament against host nation Italy, Argentina, Cayman Islands, Tanzania and Nepal.

It wasn’t a lecture or a coach’s half-time address, just a friendly chat explaining just how important this tournament is to the US.

The team, which is in Italy now, knows that the future of US cricket on the international stage is at stake.

Dainty said in an interview with cricketusamag.com that a finish in the top two of the tournament will see the US advance from Division Four to Division Three and a bottom two finish will have the team back in Division Five.

“We don’t want to go back to Division Five,” he said. “I am hopeful they will do well. I think we have a nice mix of talent.”

 A successful tournament, which will be played in Bologna, Italy, from August 12 to 22, also will give the US an opportunity to play in the International Cricket Conference World Cup in 2015.

Dainty was optimistic and thrilled about the selectors naming youngsters headed by the very promising 16-year-old Steven Taylor, an opening batsman and wicketkeeper, and Adrian Gordon, 22, Muhammad Asad Ghous, 20, and Timroy Allen, 22.

He also liked that the 44-year-old Nasir Javed, a right hand bat and leg spinner, was in the team to add experience and international knowledge.

Javed has played at international level with the Pakistan A team while touring the West Indies and Zimbabwe, he has also represented the US and has played at first class level in Pakistan and has a resume worth looking at, including a board member with USACA.

He still plays with the Pakistan Cricket Club in the South Florida Cricket League.

“I like the team and I am hoping we can put together a string of wins. We have good players in the US now and the competition to get into the senior team, I think, can only make us better,”  Dainty said.

Dainty is hopeful that the younger players will blend in well with the experience of Javed,  Massiah, Orlando Baker, Kevin Darlington and Aditya Tharagarajan and come up with a successful combination.

“A lot of work has been put into this tournament,” said Dainty, adding: “Our long term aim is to get into the World Cup.”

Dainty discussed the opposing teams with Massiah and Lambert.

He said: “When I talked with them it was about how important it was to get the right team. We know the Cayman Islands, Nepal and Argentina pretty well.”

The scouting reports suggest that Tanzania and the Cayman Islands do not play well against spin and Javed can be an asset in this department.

Before the team left for Italy, batsman Aditya Tharagarajan said he believed the team was closely knit and going in the right direction as it tried to advance to Division  One, which was a priority.

The team: Steve Massiah (captain) 31, Sushil Nadkarni, (vice captain) 34, Aditya Tharagarajan, 31, Adrian Gordon, 22, Carl Wright, 33, Kevin Darlington, 37, Khawaja Usman Shuja, 31, Lennox Cush, 35, Muhammad Asad Ghous, 20, Nasir Javed, 44, Orlando Baker, 31, Rashard Marshall, 28, Steven Taylor, 16, and Timroy Allen, 22. Clayton Lambert (coach) and Imran Khan (manager).