The provisional Scotland squad for the forthcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in West Indies and USA has today been named, with Durham’s Michael Jones named in the squad.
Richie Berrington will lead a squad of 15 to the Caribbean, where the Scots will face England, Namibia, Oman, and Australia.
Durham’s Michael Jones and Brad Wheal of Hampshire are added to thirteen of those picked to play in a Tri-Series with Netherlands and Ireland in May.
The squad departs for the World Cup on Sunday 26 May, heading first to Trinidad and Tobago for training and two official warm-up fixtures, against Afghanistan and Uganda, before flying to Barbados to prepare for their opening match in Group B against England in Bridgetown on Tuesday 4 June.
Scotland Men’s Head Coach, Doug Watson, said: “It was a really difficult selection meeting, and it’s never easy getting it down to a squad of fifteen. I think it was ultimately about getting the balance of the squad just right and we feel we’ve done that here.
“It’s good that we’ve got some of our county players available, and we are really excited with the fifteen we’ve chosen, so now we can look forward to what lies ahead.
“To have Michael Jones and Brad Wheal available, their experience from previous T20 World Cups is crucial for the group. I’m looking forward to meeting them both, getting to know them and seeing their skills up close.
“The bulk of the squad have been together for a while now and did a fantastic job last year at both the 50-over Qualifier and the T20 Qualifier last summer. It’s nice to have a bit of continuity along the way, although they haven’t played a lot of cricket since. Hopefully we can see the same level from these players, if not higher, when we get to the Caribbean.
“I’m very excited about what lies ahead, and I think the players are too, the closer we get to it. We’re getting a few games under our belt before then; we’re off to play Netherlands and Ireland in a couple of weeks, and that’ll be good just to get a bit of competitiveness under our belts. We’re done with training now, and we want to play competitive cricket.
“For us as a nation, it’s a real opportunity to shine on the global stage. If you look at the landscape of cricket now, with all the different franchise tournaments available for these guys to play in around the world, this is still the pinnacle. From a personal and team perspective, it’s massive.
“That first game against England, it’ll be quite a day – but we won’t look too far ahead. We’ll just ensure that we prepare well as a team, and individually, to represent Scotland as best we can.”
Squad:
Richie Berrington (captain) Clydesdale, Matthew Cross Heriots, Brad Currie Sussex, Chris Greaves Grange, Oli Hairs Watsonians, Jack Jarvis Grange, Michael Jones Durham, Michael Leask Forfarshire, Brandon McMullen RH Corstorphine, George Munsey RH Corstorphine, Safyaan Sharif Perth Doo’cot, Chris Sole Grange, Charlie Tear Sussex, Mark Watt Heriots, Brad Wheal Hampshire