Former IPL coaches Mike Young and Doug Watson in fray for USA coach job

As the USA’s search for a coach continues, the International Cricket Council have opened an application process on Wednesday for the role of the coach, who is officially bound to start his duty at the 2016 ICC World Cricket League Division Four in LA later this year.

For the role of the job, there has to be a minimum level two coaching accreditation among the qualifications listed. The role came under intense scrutiny after the dismal performance of the USA at the World T20 qualifiers held last year.

Captain Akeem Dodson openly criticised coach Nasir Javed for not having a level one certificate and the national team’s inability to qualify for the T20 World Cup held in India.

Many coaches have expressed their desire to coach the USA National Cricket Team, including Mike Young and Doug Watson. Mike Young is currently the Australian team’s fielding coach. He was also a former manager of the minor league and Australian Baseball.

One of Young’s short stints include a three-week assignment as a fielding consultant for the Indian Cricket Team. His current Indian connections include being the fielding coach of Kings XI Punjab from the Indian Premier League.

Young has also been a part of three coaching staffs to have won the World Cup with Australia and he was also a part of the coaching staff of the now defunct Deccan Chargers.

Doug Watson is a former first-class player from South Africa who served as the assistant coach for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. His most recent role as head coach was when he coached the Namibian team from 2012 to 2015.

Before Javed coached the USA national team, they were coached by Robin Singh on a contract basis although his tenure as coach produced some really heated moments with players. One really sour experience was when Singh had a dispute with Timroy Allen and Orlando Baker, who vowed to never play for the country again.

Timroy Allen last played for the USA when he was the vice-captain of the team for the 2013 T20 World Cup Qualifier. He also had a stint for the Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League owing to his performances for the combined ICC Americas Squad.

ICC in a press release stated that the applications will be accepted only till July 20, with a 30-man shortlist of players chosen from the ICC Combines held recently, is due to arrive in Florida on July 27 for a week-long team camp, where a 14-man squad is going to be chosen for the WCL division four.