NEWS
Follow UsThe United States of America (USA) have exceeded everyone's expectations at the T20 World Cup 2024. They have two of their three games so far and remain in a good position to make it through to the Super Eights. They won the first game against Canada comprehensively and then defeated Pakistan in a Super Over to put themselves in a commanding position before going down to India.
Steven Taylor, who has managed just 36 runs in three innings so far, it will be a dream come true to progress to the next round, in what is USA's maiden World Cup.
"It's something that we're all been thinking about after beating Pakistan. It'll be a dream come true to go to the next round. Especially the Super Eight would be the first time it's happened as well. But at the end of the day, it's close. Until the next World Cup event is, we're all out," Taylor said ahead of the Ireland clash.
Taylor's father, Silvan, also played cricket professionally and now works with the ICC as an official. Speaking of his dad's influence in his career, Taylor said, "He means a lot to me. I mean, like growing up as a kid, watching my dad put on his white clothes on a Sunday morning and going to cricket.
"I was asking him, where are you going? Where are you going? One day I just followed him and I just fell in love with the game. And up to this day, I've been playing cricket all my life."
While Taylor played many sports in school, it is cricket that has always interested him. "It was different growing up playing because I played all sports growing up from middle school to high school and elementary. So, I played baseball, the football, the soccer, especially basketball. That was my favourite sport after cricket," Taylor recalled.
"And I had a nickname in school, they would say - ‘cricket guy’ because I'm the only one who was talking about cricket. And like, there was a few Caribbean guys or Indians that went to my school as well, and they'll know about the game, but they never played it.
"And they'll say, no, I don't like cricket so much. Why do you talk about it so much? And it was something I never could explain. And to this day, I have a lot of my old friends texting me and saying, I'm proud of you, Stick to your game and we're proud of where you're at."
With plenty of rain predicted over the next few days in Florida, Taylor remains hopeful of having a game. "Growing up here at the stadium, it always had a nice drainage. So, we always hope that once the next day doesn't rain, there'll always be cricket in the forecast, but we can't stop the weather. So, whatever happens, we just have to work with it," the 30-year-old said.
However, a washout will be good enough to take the US to the Super Eights, regardless of how Pakistan's game against Ireland on June 16 (Sunday) pans out.
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