NEW DELHI: The
USA cricket team
concludes its
T20 World Cup
campaign with a sense of pride and numerous lessons learned, despite their fairytale run ending in the Super 8 stage against stronger teams like South Africa, West Indies, and
England
. The team had a commendable group stage performance, securing a win against
Pakistan
and nearly upsetting India.
Corey Anderson
, who previously played for New Zealand, expressed optimism about the future of
cricket in America
and the potential for growth.
T20 World Cup Schedule | Points Table | Stats
"I mean sky's the limit really...the last few years there's always been whispers around what's happening in America with cricket...hopefully in years to come as well, we can kind of grow that," Anderson was quoted as saying by PTI after the team's tournament-ending loss to England.
Reflecting on the USA's performance and their exit from the tournament, Anderson remarked, "I mean there's probably a lot of areas that we need to improve on. We are still an
Associate nation
, growing, trying to get a bigger player pool. Making it through the Super 8s was obviously a historic occasion for the USA."
When questioned about the team's loss of momentum following a strong group stage, Anderson attributed it to the heightened competition level in the Super 8s.
"The last couple of games have just been not quite there, but that's what happens in the Super 8 competition is the bigger boys start to really show up and they're kind of hitting their stride right at the back end of this competition," Anderson said.
He acknowledged the experience gained from playing against higher-ranked teams. "We don't get to play against these big teams often or at all. So, anything that we can play against these guys is hugely valuable. It's probably a little bit raw at the moment obviously, but yeah there's heaps of learnings out of that," he added.
Despite the disappointment of their losses, Anderson emphasized that the team feels a sense of achievement. "They're hurt. I'm hurt. Your pride's always on the line when you're playing these games and you never want to lose badly or have performances like that," he said, referencing the 10-wicket defeat to England.
"But again, it's looking at the bigger picture of it too. If we're a team and we first started and we're beginning to be disappointed about how we play against these big teams and knowing that we can do better, that's a great sign because it means we can give more," Anderson explained.
The journey of the USA team in this T20 World Cup has been a mix of highs and lows, with significant moments that show the potential and promise of cricket in America.
English (US) ·