Dodson questions motivation of USA players

USA wicketkeeper Akeem Dodson, who top-scored with 49 in USA's seven-wicket loss to Namibia at Stormont on Monday, rejected any notion that his team threw in the towel early in the second innings. However, he questioned the motivation of some members of the team, including thinly veiled criticism directed at captain Muhammad Ghous.

"I wouldn't say the team gave up," Dodson told ESPNcricinfo after the match. "Maybe a few players felt that they weren't in a position to bowl or they didn't want to bowl. In this kind of game, especially in a T20 game, you need a big heart. Sometimes when the ball is getting hit 100 meters, a lot of bowlers are afraid. Their heart gets a little weak and their arms might get a little lazy."

With Namibia on 73 for 0 after seven overs, and openers Stephen Baard and Gerrie Snyman both having already been dropped, Ghous brought on specialist batsmen Alex Amsterdam and Timothy Surujbally - a player who had only bowled two overs in eight previous T20 games - to bowl for USA in the eighth and ninth overs. Ghous had bowled two overs for nine runs at the start of the chase but did not reappear for the rest of the game.

"It really takes being a bigger person and understanding that 'Yeah, I'm a big bowler and this is when I need to bowl', especially as a top bowler in the team," Dodson said. "It was the captain's choice. It was his decision, he made the decision and we have to live with it."

Dodson, 27, is USA's most experienced batsman in the squad, having played 29 T20s and is their leading run-scorer in the tournament with 88 runs in three games. Dodson took responsibility for throwing his wicket away on 49 going for a six, calling it the turning point in the match at the start of the 14th over, which precipitated USA's feeble first-innings finish to go from 82 for 3 to a total of 113 for 8.

In contrast to USA's opening match of the tournament, where they fought till the final over to defend a total of 121, Namibia reached the target of 114 with 43 balls to spare. Dodson said the team's performance in the field was a disappointment but that morale was low heading into the innings break.

"I think the fielding performance today was lackluster," Dodson said. "I think because we ended up with that total, we lost momentum. There wasn't the same kind of fight that you saw in Indianapolis and you saw in the first couple of games. No-balls are always costly and in the T20 game fielding is king. Fielding is where you're going to win it or lose it and today I think it lost it for us.

"It could have made the game a lot more interesting if we took those catches, if that no-ball was a wicket [with Snyman on 7]. If we had got Snyman's wicket early, then it could have been a whole different game. We have to really emphasize that it is where we want to be a cut above the rest. If we are able to field well and field better than other teams, then we'll be able to win games."

USA resume Group A action against Jersey on Wednesday at Bready after an off day. The previous match between Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea at Bready on Monday was washed out and USA's final pre-tournament warm-up at the same ground against Kenya was also abandoned. Dodson said the team is hoping that the rain will stay away in order to give them a chance to break the losing streak.

"The outlook is still bright I believe," Dodson said. "We have to play well and win these games. The biggest problem will be watching the weather. We have Jersey at Bready. I feel that even though Jersey won a really good game against Hong Kong, we have the firepower to take them on and beat them. I think that's going to be our rebound. Once we can rebound from there and regroup, Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea better watch out."