Karachi: Ali Khan, the right-arm fast bowler from the USA, is ecstatic after his national cricket team acquired the one-day international status and hoped that it would go a long way in the progression of cricket in his home country.
“It’s a great achievement for a country like the USA where local people don’t know much about Cricket. With this feat (ODI status) they will get to know more and subsequently, the game will grow at the grass root level”, Ali Khan told this correspondent.
The USA cricket team earned one-day international status after finishing among the top four in the recently concluded International Cricket Council’s World Cricket League Division 2 in Namibia.
The other teams that acquired the ODI status are Namibia, Oman, and Papua New Guinea.
Ali Khan finished with 17 wickets at the WCL2 with the best figures of 5 for 28.
“The ODI status means a lot to everyone who has sacrificed and worked hard for decades. Going forward I see a lot of young kids will look up to us and want to play cricket as they grow up”, Ali Khan said.
The skiddy right-arm quick, born in December 1990, moved to the USA, with his family, from Pakistan in 2010.
After playing at the club level in Ohio, he contacted Maq Qureshi (an avid local cricket organizer) on Facebook in 2013 and got the invite to a tournament in Fort Lauderdale where he made his presence felt.
Later on, Ali Khan got a go in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) where he got noticed after dismissing Kumar Sangakarra with his first ball. Apart from CPL, Ali, 28, has so far featured in Bangladesh Premier League, Afghanistan Premier League, and T10 League as well.
After becoming an American citizen, Ali Khan was finally selected in the USA squad for the first time for the 2016 Auty Cup and ICC WCL Division Four in Los Angeles.
Ali Khan emphasized getting frequent opportunities at the international circuit for the USA team to improve. His dream, he said, is to represent his country in the World Cup.
“The most important thing for us is to play international cricket all year long and a chance to qualify for World Cup 2023 which is the ultimate goal”, Ali opined.