Scotland began their T20 World Cup campaign on a winning note by defeating Bangladesh by six runs. It was all-rounder Chris Greaves, who made an impact with his all-round performance. First, Greaves hit 45 runs off 28 balls to rescue Scotland from a 53-6 deficit and help them post a fighting total of 140-9. The right-handed batter also picked up two key wickets of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim to derail Bangladesh's run chase in the middle overs.
The 31-year-old journey is no less than an inspirational story. He began his career as an Amazon driver before becoming a T20 World Cup star. The Scottish cricketer took the bold decision to give up his job and live his dream of representing the national cricket team. The bold move paid off last night as Scotland pulled off the first upset of the T20 World Cup by defeating Bangladesh, who were considered favourites to top Group B of the qualifying round after convincing series win at home against the likes of New Zealand and Australia.
Kyle Coetzer, Scotland's captain, heaped praises on the all-rounder for his outstanding performance against Bangladesh. “It was an incredible day for him but certainly it wasn’t a surprise for us. We knew he had the ability to do this," said Coetzer in a post-match conference.
Coetzer also revealed Greaves’ journey from an Amazon driver to become Scotland’s cricket star. “Really proud of Greaves, he had to sacrifice a lot. He was delivering parcels for Amazon not long ago and now he’s getting the man of the match and playing against Bangladesh,” concluded Coetzer.
Man of the match Greaves appeared to be very pleased with his achievement. “It was my day. There would be many other days that any one of us could do well. Glad that I contributed. Incredible to be a Scottish cricketer today. So many words I could put to use. Enjoyable,” Greaves asserted after the match.
Scotland will now face Papua New Guinea (PNG) in their next encounter on October 19.
