Cameron Gannon’s World Cup ‘missed opportunity’ as USA team trials clashed with Aussie Summer.

With an American passport in hand, Cameron Gannon had hopes of representing the USA at the T20 World Cup, but a lack of communication has the WA quick disappointed with missing out.

As Cameron Gannon followed the scores of Sunday’s Twenty20 World Cup opener from Dallas, his heart was pulled in different directions.

A couple of days later he was drafting a congratulatory message to the day’s hero Aaron Jones, whose thumping unbeaten 94 from 40 deliveries led the US to victory over Canada.

Gannon, a veteran of the Australian domestic scene, has known Jones since 2019.

“He’s always been one of the best guys in that in that environment, and I’m not talking from a cricket perspective,” Gannon says.

“For me, what he did in that game and how he has been representing America the last few years is just reward for the kind of person that he is and how he goes about his business.”

But the reason Gannon knows Jones and many of his American teammates is because he has been one of them, and if not for a hard line policy from USA Cricket he would probably in the US now, part of the American squad at a home World Cup.

Cameron Gannon (L) holds an American passport and represented the USA in 2019. Picture: Will Russell/Getty Images

With an American passport via his mother, paceman Gannon played four T20s for the US in Bermuda in 2019.

Having played Major League Cricket with the Seattle Orcas last year as a local player, Gannon - alongside fellow US-eligible Australians Cameron Stevenson and Brody Couch - was keen to push for selection at the World Cup.

However USA Cricket mandated that in order to make the national squad, players would need to participate in trials across January and February and then appear at national championships in March.

The Aussie trio all registered to be involved but according to Gannon were given little direction about having to actually attend what were ultimately indoor trials held during the Australian season, during which Gannon, 35, was driving Western Australia to a third straight Sheffield Shield title, culminating with an eight-wicket match haul in March’s final against Tasmania.

“I think historically, communication has not been ideal,” Gannon says diplomatically of USA Cricket’s methods.

“And to a certain extent you kind of expect that with associate nations. They just don’t have the funding that like a Cricket Australia does. And when you come from such a well-run organisation like Western Australia in particular it can be a difficult adjustment. We expect a certain level of organisation and whatnot and it’s just not there sometimes.

Cameron Gannon push for a spot on the USA World Cup team was haltered as trials clashed with the Australian summer of cricket. Picture: Will Russell/Getty Images

“I can definitely respect that they have policies and they have and they want to stick to that and that is I’m totally fine with that. I don’t expect anyone to change rules for me or anything like that. it’s their decision, and it’s what they want to do. And that’s fine. And it’s doing what’s right for US cricket. For me, it’s just like it’s a bit of a missed opportunity, it would have been nice. But I think my wife is pretty happy to have me home at the moment.”

As it turned out, Gannon ended the Australian domestic season with a pelvic complaint which he has been nursing as WA returned to training. The extra break is a silver lining ahead of another MLC stint in which he is excited to hear World Cup tales from Jones and left-arm tweaker Hameet Singh.

“I guess it’s kind of mixed emotions. A World Cup is bloody awesome. I’m never gonna play for Australia. So it would have been nice. But at the same time, I don’t make any decisions. And I’ve spent a long time trying to get to a point where I’m not kind of hung up on that stuff. So it’s just kind of deal with it and move on.

“(But) there are definitely guys that I’m watching and I’m hoping do really well.”