Surujbally replaces Steven Taylor in USA squad

Miami batsman Timothy Surujbally has been named as a replacement for Steven Taylor in USA's 15-man squad for the World T20 Qualifiers in Ireland next month.

USA Cricket Association officials confirmed the decision on Friday after a chaotic few days in which Taylor, at one point, appeared he might rejoin the squad. Taylor initially withdrew himself from the USA squad on Monday after securing a full-season contract with Barbados Tridents in the Caribbean Premier League. According to USACA sources though, Taylor contacted USACA on Wednesday night after having second thoughts and apparently sought out info on whether it was possible to rejoin the squad.

By this time, USACA had already sent a notification to the ICC seeking a replacement for Taylor. The 21-year-old batsman also apparently had a meeting with USACA president Gladstone Dainty, who was in Barbados to attend the ICC annual conference, on Thursday to discuss his status with the team. ESPNcricinfo contacted Taylor on Thursday to confirm his intentions to rejoin the USA squad but did not receive a response.

However, a USACA official told ESPNcricinfo on Friday morning that Taylor had made the decision to stay with the Tridents for the duration the CPL, at which point Surujbally was formally added to the USA squad.

Surujbally made his debut for USA during the 2012 Auty Cup series in Florida and has played 8 T20 matches for USA, the last of which came during the 2013 Auty Cup tour to Canada. He has scored 140 runs at an average of 20 in T20s, with a highest score of 44 against Suriname in March 2013 at the ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament in Florida. He last represented USA later that year in the Auty Cup tour to Canada in July.