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Scotland are gearing up to participate in the T20 World Cup for the fifth time in their cricket history. By no stretch of the imagination is Scotland a box-office team but cricket is a funny sport and there have been numerous instances in the past where teams with zero expectations have punched way above their weight class. Can the Scottish Saltires achieve something significant in the upcoming ICC tournament? Well, they might be of no match against the heavy-hitters like India, Australia and some of the other favourites for the competition but on their day, Scotland is more than capable of pulling off a major upset. If not going the distance themselves, they can spoil the hopes of other nations.
History
The history of cricket in Scotland dates back to the 1700s but the nation became an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1994. Since then, cricket has evolved at a rapid pace in Scotland and there have been times when the Scottish national team has displayed their commendable potential against the best sides in the world.
Scotland have regularly featured in ICC tournaments since 1999. Having said that, success has evaded them and wins have come after lengthy gaps. Yet, the current side boasts a lot of players who ply their skills in overseas franchise cricket leagues. Thus, there is no dearth of experience in the squad. Their record in T20 cricket isn't too bad either. They have played 80 matches so far, winning 34 contests in the process while losing 42 fixtures.
History at T20 World Cup
Having first participated in a T20 World Cup in 2007, the Scottish Saltires went on to compete in 2009, 2016 and 2021 editions. They have played 15 matches in the multi-national tournament, winning just four matches in the process while losing 10 contests. One of their fixtures ended in a No Result (NR).
T20 World Cup 2022
Scotland are placed in Group B of the first round alongside Ireland, Zimbabwe and the West Indies. In order to qualify for the Super 12 stage, the team would need to play out of their skin as they are probably the weakest of the four sides in Group B. Only two teams will make it to the Super 12s from each of the two groups. Scotland would look to find a winning formula and bank on team effort in order to make some noise in the first round.
Heavy lifter - Richard Berrington
Scotland would look for some inspiration from their charismatic captain, Richard Berrington. The swashbuckling batters possess a ton of experience. The 35-year-old has been playing the sport at the highest level for some time now and in the upcoming World Cup, his performance will dictate the fortune of his team.
He has played 76 T20Is for Scotland so far, scoring 1,718 runs in the process at a strike rate of 128.40 and an average of 31.2. In 97 ODIs, Berrington has aggregated 2,515 runs at an average of 30.7 and a strike rate of 74.60.
Scotland's squad of the T20 World Cup: Richie Berrington (c), Matthew Cross (wk) (vc), Kyle Coetzer, Calum Macleod, George Munsey, Dylan Budge, Mark Watt, Safyaan Sharif, Michael Leask, Gavin Main, Adrian Neill, Hamza Tahir, Chris Sole, Chris McBride
