Andries Gous, Steven Taylor, and Ali Khan return to the USA squad for the Oman tour.
After a turbulent series of events—including the dismissal of head coach Stuart Law and Andries Gous’ mid-series withdrawal for personal reasons during the USA’s last international tour in October—the 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman has been named in both the ODI and T20I squads for the Oman tour. A well-traveled T20 player, it remains uncertain whether Gous will arrive in Oman in time for the first ODI on February 8, as he is still engaged with the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20, which concludes on February 9. Similarly, the arrival of left-arm spinners Harmeet Singh and Nosthush Kenjige remains uncertain due to their ongoing commitments with Sharjah Warriors and MI Emirates, respectively. Their potential absence, combined with the conditions in Oman, may finally open the door for young leg-spinner Yasir Mohammad, who has largely been limited to carrying drinks during the last three USA tours. The squad announcement did not include a designated vice-captain, despite Aaron Jones’ selection in both white-ball squads. Jones had previously been omitted from the home ODI squad in October after prioritizing club commitments in the CPL over national duty but was later recalled as a replacement following Gous’ withdrawal. USA has also recalled veteran all-rounder Steven Taylor for the T20I squad. The hard-hitting left-hander last played a T20I during the World Cup in June but was dropped from both white-ball squads after the Netherlands tour in August. His comeback was further delayed by injuries, but a string of strong performances—including twin centuries in Minor League Cricket and an impressive stint in the Guyana Global Super League—has earned him a return to the squad. The Oman T20Is will also mark the return of USA’s star pacer Ali Khan, who has been sidelined by a combination of injuries and club commitments since the World Cup.