USA axe Staple as captain

Richard Staple: axed © Cricinfo Enlarge

The USA Cricket Association has named a squad of probables for the forthcoming Intercontinental Cup matches against Bermuda and Canada at the end of August.

The most notable omissions from the lamentable ICC Trophy team are Richard Staple, the captain, and the veteran West Indies opener, Clayton Lambert. In all, only seven of the ICC Trophy squad survive. There had been rumours circulating that a number of the old guard were reconsidering whether to continue playing, but this announcement appears to have made the decision for them.

But the USA's participation in the competition remains a doubt. The ICC gave the USACA and the Council for League Presidents, the rival faction claiming to have legitimate control of US cricket, until August 1 to pick a jointly-agreed squad. The list of probables has come directly from the USACA, and there is a distinct possibility that the CLP might now boycott the whole process, leaving the ICC with the decision of whether to carry out its threat.

Probables squad Steve Massiah, Gowkaran Roopnarine, Barrington Bartley, Ahkil Pathan, Shawn Riley, Imran Awan, Jignesh Desai, Abishek Powar, Anil Deopersaud, Hermat Punoo, Renado Francis, Shafi, Glen Hall, Amer Afzuladdin, Usman K Shuja, Nasir Islam, Dunae Nathaniel, Masood Mahamed, Ryan Sooklall.