Unbeaten in the qualifying stage, Scotland are aspiring for further “special deliveries”.
They know it well that an arduous job awaits them in the Super 12 stage of this T20 World Cup, with their campaign beginning on Monday versus Afghanistan in Sharjah.
But this Scotland side, led by Kyle Coetzer, possesses a different mentality, mindset and approach, being determined to make an impression and looking for that “push” to establish themselves as a firm ICC full-member contender.
“Our qualification to the Super 12 has been hugely significant. Not just for the team, but for the organisation and some of the aspirations that Cricket Scotland have. We want to be the leading associate and we want to push our case to be the next full member,” top-order batsman Calum MacLeod said on Sunday.
Their group also features strong teams like India, New Zealand and Pakistan.
Looking at Afghanistan and Ireland, which have both made an impression during World Cups in the past, the Scotsmen realise how important it is to perform at the top stage. “If you look specifically at the way Afghanistan and Ireland progressed, they did so from doing well in the World Cups. And I think we’ve now got five great opportunities (their upcoming matches) to go out and show world cricket what this organisation and the team is about,” MacLeod, also a Manchester United fan, emphasised.
“For the players, it’s a great opportunity to showcase some of the T20 skills that this group has and get them out there on the world stage. You never know what sort of opportunities can come on the back of this for some of the players if they have a good group stage,” the 32-year-old added.
It was MacLeod’s unbeaten 140 that had led Scotland to an unbelievable six-run win over England back in June 2018 in Edinburgh. That high, though, didn’t last for long as Scotland failed to qualify for the 2019 ODI World Cup held in the United Kingdom.
However, that failure had certainly spurred them on. “Yeah, I think sometimes we need those disappointments to really spur us on.”
