In the last edition of the ICC Under-19 World Cup, the USA had a forgettable outing, losing all three games it played and finishing bottom of the group.
So, when former Andhra Ranji star batter Vincent Vinay Kumar took charge as head coach recently, his twin objective was to make it a force to reckon with.
And, he seems to be well on course. Vincent mentored the US team to 17 wins from 19 games after he took over and has guided the team to the next edition of the U19 World Cup after an impressive show in the qualifiers in Atlanta (Rydal, Georgia).
“Our journey to qualification has been shaped by strategic planning, international exposure, planned training, and administrative support. Facing and overcoming challenges,” said Vincent in a chat from the US.
For the record, the US was the last team to make it to the World Cup to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia in January-February 2026.
“We are now going to St. Vincent Island to play against England and West Indies under-19 teams as part of our preparations for the next World Cup,” the former Andhra cricketer said.
“There is no doubt, the boys showed great attitude to win games from tough situations in the qualifiers which featured Canada, Bermuda, Argentina. And this is a positive sign and they are getting used to implementing plans and strategies chalked for the game,” Vincent said.
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“We had to perform consistently well across the double round-robin format,” he said.
“Yes, this result would not have been possible but for USA Cricket’s support — from arranging training camps to managing travel protocols. Then, our coaching team, support staff of analysts, physios and trainers played a huge role in this wonderful performance, which is again a collective effort of all,” Vincent explained.
“Exposure to international tournaments like the CSA Cubs Week in South Africa, CWI Rising Stars (under-19) championship in the West Indies, in the lead up to the World Cup qualifiers ensured great experience and helped the team in a big way to mould into a winning combination,” he said.
“Essentially, it is all about sharing goals, disciplined preparation and team bonding that have had a huge impact,” Vincent said. “This was backed by fitness programs, skill training and data-driven planning,” he added.
“For me, this is the high point of my coaching career for it is a huge milestone in my career and this validates years of planning,” Vincent said.
The USA team, which made it to the next edition of the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The USA team, which made it to the next edition of the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The coach says the team will be undertaking extensive preparation before the multi-nation tournament.
“We are planning extended training camps and acclimatisation tours in conditions which will be similar to Zimbabwe and Namibia, play in high-level practice matches or invitational tournaments before the World Cup,” said Vincent, who is also the assistant coach with the US senior men’s team.
How does the future of US cricket look? “For even better results, investment in grassroots development, expanding talent pipelines through Academies and Youth Leagues nationwide, enhanced domestic competitions, strengthening under-19 and club-level tournaments for match readiness can be few areas of focus,” Vincent opined.
“Definitely, skill exchange and international coaching collaborations, partnership with full member nations for coach development and player exchanges should also go a long way to give a fresh impetus to US cricket,” he said.
