“My heart goes out to Ali,” said USA fast bowler Saurabh Netravalkar at the post-match presentation following USA’s win over Singapore after he claimed his side’s first-ever T20I five-wicket haul with figures of 5 for 12. “We want to do it for him. We want to make it to the World Cup for him. That’s what we promised him and we’ll do our best.”
As of Tuesday, USA Cricket had not announced a replacement player for Ali in their T20 World Cup Qualifier squad. It is unlikely that a player would arrive in time to be available for USA’s final Group A match against Zimbabwe on Thursday but may possibly be available for the semi-final on Friday. Among the options being considered according to sources are New Jersey fast bowler Jessy Singh and Florida fast bowler Kyle Phillip.
Ali shot to T20 franchise cricket superstardom in the 2018 CPL, taking 16 wickets for the eventual champions. He was part of another TKR title-winning side in 2020, and his performances that season helped him get signed as a replacement player in the 2020 IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders, making him the first USA player ever signed by an IPL franchise. However, he never took the field for KKR during that season.