Associate cricket is on the rise: Aaron Jones

USA still has a mathematical chance to reach the semi-finals

Co-hosts USA, after losses to the West Indies and South Africa, aim to bounce back with a win against England in Barbados this Sunday.

Stand-in captain Aaron Jones emphasized the importance of their upcoming match, expressing his determination to win every game in the US jersey, regardless of the opponent.

“I think the game against England is important. For me personally, every time I put on a US jersey, I want to win the game, regardless of who we’re playing against,” Jones said.

Jones highlighted the USA’s recent strong performances, which he believes have showcased the rise of associate cricket.

“I think over the last couple of weeks, starting from winning the series against Bangladesh, it really and truly opened the eyes of everybody in the world, not only for US cricket but associate cricket in general.”

“And then, obviously moving on to beating Pakistan in the World Cup, and then having a close game against India, and then a close game against South Africa. People know that associate cricket is on the rise I would say,” he added.

Looking ahead to the game against England, Jones expressed confidence and stated there’s no pressure despite their position in the tournament. He reaffirmed the team’s belief in their ability to compete against any team globally and emphasized his focus on winning the upcoming match.

“Obviously, we always believed, even before the World Cup started, that we could beat any team in the world. And as I say, every time you put on your jersey and you go and play for your country, you want to win.”

“So definitely we want to win the game against England and finish well, although we can’t advance in the next round for sure.”

“For me personally, I will go into the game just looking to win the game and doing as best as possible as a team and me personally as well. And then let’s see what happens after that,” Jones concluded.

USA, despite having no points in Super Eight stage, still has a mathematical chance to reach the semi-finals. They must achieve a comprehensive victory over England in their final Super Eight match and surpass England’s net run rate. Additionally, they need South Africa to win convincingly against the West Indies, causing the Caribbean team’s net run rate to fall below that of the USA.