Jeremy Jones selects the legendary Earl Strickland as his final wild card pick; will the men in blue make it a hat-trick of titles?; you can watch the Mosconi Cup live on Sky Sports from November 30 to December 3
Last Updated: 05/11/22 6:00pm
Earl Strickland is back! The pool legend returns to Mosconi Cup action for Team USA and you can watch all the action live on Sky Sports
The legendary Earl Strickland will be out for redemption after being selected as the final wild card pick for Team USA ahead of the 2022 Mosconi Cup in Las Vegas.
Captain Jeremy Jones opted for Strickland to join his side of Shane Van Boening, Skyler Woodward, Oscar Dominguez, and Tyler Styer with ‘The Pearl’ out for payback after being forced to withdraw from last year’s event due to a positive Covid-19 contact trace.
It was heartbreak for Strickland in London who has won the joint-most amount of Mosconi Cup titles with nine and will go on the hunt for a historic 10th as the USA look to regain the crown for the first time since 2019.
Strickland is a pool icon having battled some of the biggest names from snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan in 1996 to claiming MVP in 2005 as the USA beat Europe 11-6.
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Remember this? Strickland cut a disconsolate figure after losing 7-2 to Eklent Kaci at the World Pool Masters in 2019 but it wasn’t just the result he was unhappy with…
The 61-year-old admitted he did not think he would be picked again: “Last year was unbelievable but I knew it could happen (positive Covid-19 contact trace).
“The pandemic was impacting everyone. It was the nature of the situation. That said, I am glad to get this chance.
“Maybe, it will be my last time representing the USA and if it is my last chance, I will make the best of it and show what I have in my locker.
“It’s hard to believe that I am back. I didn’t think this chance would come again at times. I also believed one day I could be back by playing my way onto the team through the Nineball World Rankings.
“I feel strong enough. I have played well recently. I am honoured at my age to get this opportunity to represent the USA, especially after this year. I know I am passed the veteran stage but my game is still holding up and I am breaking well.”
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Team Europe raised the Mosconi Cup after beating USA 11-6 to move ahead in overall wins
Captain Jones has backed Strickland to be a curveball for Team Europe: “Earl is a champion in many ways. He brings energy and a big upside to the team. He thinks fast, plays fast, and will be firing at the European team. I know how much this means to him.”
Ready for the Mosconi Cup?
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Kelly Fisher hopes organisers can bring some extra ‘va-va-voom’ to the Mosconi Cup in the future by allowing women to compete again
You can watch the 2022 Mosconi Cup from November 30 to December 3 at Bally’s Las Vegas where Jeremy Jones’ USA side will be looking to prevent Alex Lely’s European side making it a hat-trick of titles – live on Sky Sports.
Team Europe lead the annual transatlantic 9-ball pool event 14-13 ahead of this year’s event.