A day after the United States orchestrated a shock defeat of Pakistan at the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup, USA cricket player Corey Anderson told CNN the team has the confidence to beat any team they face.
“We believe we can knock these big teams off if we caught them sleeping a bit or feeling like they were taking it a bit easy,” Anderson said. “I don’t think Pakistan was taking it easy. I just think we started really well. We put pressure on.”
The 33-year-old said he has been getting “hundreds of messages, more so than I usually do” when asked about the post-match joy.
“It’s probably shocked the cricketing world,” Anderson said. “I know definitely here in the US it’s been a lot of media coverage which is fantastic. I think USA Cricket is just not that well known within America and I think we put ourselves a little bit more on the map.”
Anderson, who is from New Zealand and has represented the Kiwis in multiple World Cups, said his wife and two sons are American and he has lived in the country for a “handful of years.”
Anderson continued, he and his family plus his teammates have adapted to the US culture.
“I’m extremely proud to be a part of this American team and I know when that national anthem comes on, it gives me some goosebumps and I never thought I would think that way about another country but I’m here and I do feel like that,” Anderson said. “I am extremely proud to be wearing that USA jersey and I know I can speak on behalf of that group and say that we are extremely proud to fly the flag for the USA as well.”
The all-rounder added he hopes the sport can continue to grow in the country with this World Cup and the impending Olympics this summer.
“It’s just another stepping stone in the right direction to try to make this a mainstream sport here in the States,” Anderson said.
“I think we are in a great place … Keep processing forward and creating that pathway into making USA an extremely good country at cricket.”
USA’s final two Group A matches are against India and Ireland.