Ashish Ranjan
Scotland’s performance in the recently concluded World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe was remarkable. They were on the verge of qualifying for the 2023 ODI World Cup, which will be contested in India. However, their neighbours, the Netherlands, shattered their hearts when they defeated them in a virtual semifinal at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
The men of Richie Berrington must now shift their focus to the T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier, which begins on July 20. In a similar vein, Cricket Scotland has announced their squad for the Edinburgh-based Qualifiers.
Oli Hairs, who earlier this year decided to retire from international cricket, has changed his mind and been selected for the team. Bradly Currie and Gavin Main are the other two players who missed the ODI World Cup Qualifier but have been added to the squad.
Hairs debuted in 2010 and brings considerable experience to the table. Currie’s call-up should not come as a surprise, as he performed admirably in the T20 Blast for Sussex Sharks. He has not yet made his international debut at age 24. Main, on the other hand, played his final game for Scotland against New Zealand in July 2022.
These three athletes replaced Alasdair Evans, Chris McBride, and Adrian Neill in the Zimbabwean squad.
Richie Berrington is poised to achieve a significant milestone during the Qualifiers
Richie Berrington has been of tremendous service to Scottish cricket throughout his career. He presently has 298 caps for and could play his 300th game on Friday, July 21, against Jersey. It is anticipated that the right-handed batter will become the first Scottish player to attain 300 runs.
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On Thursday, July 20, Scotland will open their campaign against Germany at Goldenacre. After narrowly missing out on ODI World Cup qualification, Scotland will attempt to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will be held in the West Indies and the United States.
Scotland squad: Richie Berrington (captain), Matthew Cross, Bradley Currie, Chris Greaves, Oli Hairs, Jack Jarvis, Michael Leask, Tom Mackintosh, Gavin Main, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Hamza Tahir, Mark Watt.
