5 Scotland players to watch out for in T20 World Cup 2024
The T20 World Cup 2024 will mark Scotland's sixth appearance in the history of the tournament. They have been impressive in the last two editions, defeating Test playing nations like Bangladesh and the West Indies.
Scotland is one of the high-performing associate teams in the cricketing world. Many of the Scottish players have contracts with English counties, which is the reason why they have been so competitive over the years among the associates. They qualified for this event by winning all of their six games in the Europe Regional Qualifiers for the T20 World Cup 2024.
This edition will mark Scotland's sixth appearance in a T20 World Cup. They qualified for 2007 and 2009 editions of T20 World Cup but failed to win a game. Their first win came in their third appearance in 2016, when they defeated Hong Kong.
In 2021, they had a great tournament as they topped their group in the first round, which included a historic win over Bangladesh. They qualified for the Super 12 phase but lost all their five matches there. In 2022, Scotland defeated West Indies in another historic win but still failed to go past the first round.
Scotland are in Group B with England, Australia, Oman and Namibia in this edition. The T20 World Cup 2024 gives them an opportunity to produce their best cricket on the global stage. They have beaten two Test playing nations in their previous two T20 World Cups and will look to go even better this time.
Five Scotland players to watch out for in T20 World Cup 2024
1. Richie Berrington
T20I Career: Matches 90, Runs 2092, Bat Avg. 31.22, SR. 131.98, Wkts 28, Bowl Avg. 23.57, ER. 7.64
Berrington is an experienced top order batter for Scotland. He is the captain of the side for this edition and will be aiming to script history. The 37-year-old has been around for some time now and his calmness could be the key to Scotland's success. Berrington can contribute with both bat and ball, which makes him a useful cricketer for his side. The right-hander has the ability to play a long innings for his team, which will be crucial on these pitches. Although he is not in the best form currently, he is likely to play a vital role in Scotland's journey in this tournament.
2. Brandon McMullen
T20I Career: Matches 9, Runs 223, Bat Avg. 27.87, SR. 142.94, Wkts 1, Bowl Avg. 57, ER. 9.50
The youngster is a highly talented allrounder and is a match-winner for his side. Brandon McMullen is likely to bat in the top order and can win matches on his day. He has a strike rate of over 140 in the format, which is rare among this batting line-up. Alongside his batting, McMullen is a handy medium-pacer as well. He picked up a five-wicket haul against Ireland in 2023 ODI World Cup qualifier. The 24-year-old bowls wicket-to-wicket lines and can be dangerous if the pitch suits him. Although he hasn't played many T20Is, he can be a useful player in this format.
3. Michael Leask
T20I Career: Matches 60, Runs 659, Bat Avg. 15.69, SR. 129.72, Wkts 40, Bowl Avg. 22.67, ER. 7.78
Michael Leask is a lower order batter who is capable of hitting big sixes. Leask is a designated finisher in this side and is a dangerous batter if he gets going. He has the ability to score quick runs which can be useful in the tournament. Leask has a strike rate of 112 in ODIs, which reflects a true nature of his style of batting. Alongwith being a hard-hitting batter, he also bowls useful offspin which can be useful in spin-friendly conditions in the Caribbean. Leask took 2-15 in 4 overs in Scotland's memorable win over West Indies in the previous edition. His wickets included the big wickets of Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell.
4. Mark Watt
T20I Career: Matches 63, Wkts 77, Bowl Avg. 19.57, Bowl Avg. 6.81
The left-arm spinner could be Scotland's most useful weapon in the bowling department. Watt is one of the most prolific bowlers in this line-up. In Scotland's historic win over West Indies in the previous edition, he took 3-12 in 4 overs. On spin-friendly surfaces, Watt can be lethal with his skills. He picked up 5 wickets in 3 matches at an average of 14.80 in the recently concluded tri-series between Scotland, Ireland and Netherlands. Alongwith being an excellent spinner, Watt is also a useful batter down the order and is capable of contributing handy runs.
5. Brad Wheal
T20I Career: Matches 17, Wkts 17, Bowl Avg. 28.64, ER. 8.20
Brad Wheal is a fast bowler whose deliveries skid on after pitching. Wheal last played for Scotland in the T20 World Cup 2022 but has been selected in the squad given his experience of playing for Hampshire in England. The pitches in the Caribbean are likely to suit his style of bowling and he can be a real threat for the opposition batters. He is a wicket-taker with the new ball and has variations for the death overs as well. The 27-year-old's inclusion has bolstered Scotland's bowling line-up, which will miss another experienced seamer Josh Davey.
Scotland squad for T20 World Cup 2024
Introducing your Scotland squad for the 2024 ICC Men's @T20WorldCup... 🥁🤩🏴#FollowScotland pic.twitter.com/17Z5HME8GR
— Cricket Scotland (@CricketScotland) May 6, 2024
Richie Berrington (C), Matthew Cross (wk), Brad Currie, Chris Greaves, Oli Hairs, Jack Jarvis, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Charlie Tear (wk), Mark Watt, Brad Wheal.
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