USA vice captain Aaron Jones reacts to the stunning achievement of their side reaching the last eight of the ICC T20 World Cup after they drew with Ireland as the game was abandoned due to bad weather
Central Broward Regional Park, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
Central Broward Regional Park, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
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00:00Hi everyone, Aaron Jones, Vice-Captain, Team USA. Please introduce yourself before asking
00:10your question and raise your hands if you can. We'll start with you.
00:16Hi Aaron, made it to the Super 8, quite happy I must be, but match didn't happen. What is
00:23your thought going into the Super 8? You will be now faced with, you will be facing a lot
00:27of senior teams now, test playing teams in the Super 8. How do you look forward to that?
00:34Definitely looking forward to the challenge for sure. Over the last couple of weeks we've
00:38shown that obviously we could definitely compete and beat some of the former nations. So definitely
00:44looking forward to playing against them for sure.
00:47Aaron, Ashwin from The Hindu. First of all, congratulations to you and the team for making
00:52it to the Super 8. For cricket in the USA and for yourselves as players, entering the
00:59Super 8 of the World Cup, what does it sort of mean to you?
01:05Last part again, please.
01:07Entering the Super 8, what does it mean to players and for cricket in the USA?
01:14It's a big thing for us to be honest. Over the last couple of years we've been speaking
01:18about playing in World Cups, playing more games against the former nations and stuff
01:21like that. Here we are doing it right now. Obviously qualifying for the Super 8 is really
01:27good. Not only for us right now in the moment, but I think we'll qualify for the 2026 World
01:32Cup as well. So I think it's a big thing for us. It's really good for us. Not only for
01:37us, but the fans around America as well. We really appreciate them for sure. Not only
01:42for the fans, but for the younger generation in America as well. It's really good.
01:47Is it a little bittersweet considering how this day happened? From 10.30 in the morning
01:55to 1.30, was the playing field, in your opinion, not playable? Or were you surprised that they
02:04didn't get you out on the field?
02:07In my opinion, for me personally, I think it was too wet to play, to be honest with
02:13you this morning. We didn't really have a whole day of sun or whatever it gets to be
02:18to really and truly dry up fully. So it was a bit tough, to be honest with you, in terms
02:22of the conditions and stuff to play the game.
02:25Is it bittersweet to advance this way without being able to prove it on the pitch?
02:35The other part of the question, is it a little bittersweet to advance this way without being
02:40able to prove it on the pitch?
02:43Once we play proper cricket, we can beat any team in the world, for sure.
02:47Do you have a fitness update for this guy?
02:52Right now he has a bit of a niggle, but he should be good in a few days for sure.
02:57He wouldn't have played today?
02:59No, he wasn't going to play today.
03:03We have seen that some of these performances, most people are actually talking about it,
03:08but just to ignite this intense spark, do you see in the future US cricket inviting
03:14more teams to play bilaterals in the US?
03:18Just to be in the cricket, we have seen you have competed in Bangladesh in a bilateral
03:22game prior to this. Do you see more teams coming to the US and playing bilaterals with you?
03:27Or you may be happy that they are not there?
03:31I think it is very possible, to be honest, if the schedule permits.
03:34I think for the boys, we want to play as much cricket as possible and we would love to play
03:39more cricket against the Fulham Nations.
03:41That is where we are going to test ourselves against the best in the world.
03:44So definitely, let's see how it goes.
03:46But we really and truly would love that for sure.
03:48Do you have any plans to see more infrastructure?
03:51We have seen a stadium in New York, but that won't be there anymore.
03:55So more stadiums coming up in different parts of the US?
03:58Yeah, I think that is the plan. Long-term plan, to be honest with you.
04:02Right now we will be using, we played a few series at Moosa.
04:06Probably we will play a few series at the Dallas Stadium and probably a few at Prairie View.
04:12But yeah, we definitely have that in the plan for sure.
04:15Over the next couple of years, try to get some more facilities and stuff.
04:20How big is it going to be going back to the Caribbean and playing professional football?
04:26It is really good for me to go back home, to be honest with you.
04:30I am really happy right now.
04:31I think I will get a lot of support for sure, especially in Barbados.
04:34So definitely looking forward to it.
04:38Just a technical question.
04:39You are the only team going in the Caribbean to play Super 8 stage.
04:43You have played in Dallas, now Prairie View.
04:46I have heard that is going to happen.
04:48What is the preparation like when you go to the Caribbean?
04:51What is the preparation like when you go to the Caribbean?
04:54I mean, I don't think it is going to change much.
04:56We are going to go through our processes like normal.
04:59Practice and stuff like normal.
05:01We have played in the Caribbean in the original Super 50 competition in the Caribbean a few years.
05:06So majority of the boys know how to play in the Caribbean and stuff already.
05:10So it is just to stick together as a team and keep doing what we are doing.
05:16Given that this is the only, you had a question about the facilities,
05:19this is like the only stage to build cricket here.
05:23It has been a long time since the U.S. has played here.
05:25Would you like to play here more often?
05:27Me personally, I do like this stadium.
05:29I have scored a lot of runs here.
05:30I think the facilities are great.
05:32But I think it just comes down depending on who we are playing against.
05:38Because this wicket is not the same as the Dallas wicket
05:40and it is not the same as the Prairie View wicket.
05:42So it just depends on who we are playing against.
05:44But definitely we will play more cricket here for sure in the future.
05:48Is the Dallas wicket better?
05:50I wouldn't say better.
05:51I just think it is slightly different.
05:53I wouldn't say better.
05:54I think both are good for cricket to be honest.
05:59I know at least one of your players thought he might be going back to work one day.
06:05Now obviously he is not.
06:06I am sure you have got a full squad going forward.
06:08But are there going to be any last-minute arrangements
06:10for people to make sure they are moving all the way through the Super 8s?
06:16No, everybody is good right now.
06:17Everybody is up to date right now
06:19as it relates to travelling to the Caribbean.
06:21So it is all good in camp.
06:25Speaking of Super 8s and obviously the British Cup and the USA Cricket,
06:28what else do you think needs to be done to bring the school together in the States?
06:35I think a bit more promotion will be better
06:41as it relates to getting cricket into the school system.
06:48I think if cricket gets fully into the school system
06:50in all the states around the country,
06:52that is very important because then the youth will understand what is cricket.
06:56If they like cricket, they will get their friends to come and play.
06:58They will get their family to come and play.
07:00And that will grow the interest of the game in the country.
07:03So I think that is one thing.
07:04And then outside of that, I think promotion could be better
07:09to be honest with you as it relates to cricket being a sport in the country.
07:17Thank you.