USA's chances for winning the Auty Cup took another hit with the withdrawal of allrounder Timroy Allen. An ICC Americas official confirmed on Wednesday that the Jamaica Tallawahs-contracted player would be unavailable for the three-match series against Canada, which starts from October 13, due to a "pre-advised commitment".
Allen's spot in the squad has been taken by batsman Ravi Timbawala, who lives and plays his club cricket at Woodley Park in Los Angeles, the venue for the Auty Cup. Timbawala was second on the list of run-getters at USA's 30-man squad camp at the start of August in Florida but was a surprise omission from the final 14-man USA squad for ICC WCL Division Four, beginning October 29.
Allen is the second CPL-contracted player to withdraw from USA's original Auty Cup squad and his absence leaves USA without both new-ball pace bowlers for the series. Guyana Amazon Warriors fast bowler Ali Khan was ruled out after he failed to recover in time from a left hamstring injury suffered at the five-day national camp at Indianapolis on September 20.
Khan's spot was taken by medium-pacer Hammad Shahid, who will also provide standby cover for WCL Division Four in case Khan cannot recover in time for the start of the tournament.