Three young talented players from Indoor Cricket USA Rising Stars were rewarded with an equipment sponsorship from world class cricket equipment manufacturer SM Pintu. All three are products of ICUSA Youth Academy and were part of Andy Pick’s high performance training program.

The three youths poses with equipment.

Sixteen year old Ghous Ali Agha was born in Kohat (N.W.F.P) Pakistan to parents Azmat Agha and Heena Ali. He is a junior in Sayreville War Memorial High School in New Jersey. Ghous love for the game developed watching his eldest brother Haider Ali and sister Sahar Azmat, both very good cricketers who play in the Atlantic Region. Ghous has worked very hard on his game for the past three years and has represented the Atlantic Regional U-15 team. He is a left hand batsman who bowls right arm medium fast. Ghous would like to someday play on international stage. “There are so many deserving kids out there and I am really happy to receive this sponsorship, I will work harder to maintain it”.

Seventeen year old Ryan Persaud was born in Long Island, New York to parents Lalta and Shanti Persaud who hails from Guyana, South America. Ryan is currently a pre-med freshman at Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey. He has captained the Atlantic Region U-15 team and in 2010 took the most wickets in the United States National Tournament and was third highest run scorer. “I feel very fortunate and grateful to have received this from SM Pintu, I will use it to motivate myself to become a better player”. “I thank my Mom Shanti, Dad Lalta, Uncle Kawal Persaud, and Uncle Mushtaq Khan for guiding me in the right path and instilling in me the discipline, the character, and the drive that fuels me to never settle for anything short of first place”. “I seek to strive not for flashes of brilliance but instead, for consistency in my cricketing endeavors”.

Ninteen year old Savan Patel was born in Gujarat, India, is the oldest child to Naran Patel and Sharda Patel. He is currently a sophomore at William Patterson University, New Jersey studying business Management. Savan is very talented left hand batsman and opening bowler who resides in Parsippany New Jersey. His hard work and dedication these past two seasons has really raised the level of his game. “I feel very special to receive a sponsorship from SM Pintu and I will continue to work hard so that I can play for the US team at the highest level”.

ICUSA, which has been in existence for over one decade is please to have made its humble contribution to the growth, development and accomplishments of these three members of ICUSA Rising Stars.  It is one of the many components of ICUSA cricketing complex which is fostering cricket development in the USA with special focus on youths- tomorrows new generation of USA cricketers.