Play store
Scotland will have the opportunity to secure a place in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier when they host the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Canada in an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series starting on Monday.
Currently third in the League 2 standings, Scotland need a strong showing in their final four matches to guarantee a top-four finish, which would earn direct qualification for next year’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier. Teams finishing outside the top four will have to progress through the Qualifier Play-off.
The hosts will be without injured fast bowlers Brad Currie and Owen Gould, while experienced all-rounder Michael Leask has been left out of the squad. Zainullah Ihsan and Michael Jones return to the side, with promising batter Lyle Robertson also included.
New Scotland head coach Owen Dawkins is optimistic about his team’s chances after encouraging performances during their tour of Nepal.
“We’re looking forward to hosting Canada and UAE in what promises to be another highly competitive series,” Dawkins said. “The squad understands how we want to play and is focused on producing strong performances both individually and as a team.”
While Scotland are aiming to seal qualification, both UAE and Canada will be looking to climb the League 2 table. The two teams currently occupy the bottom two positions but have more matches remaining than several of their rivals.
UAE all-rounder Akshdeep Nath believes his side can spring a surprise despite their lowly standing, drawing inspiration from Ireland’s recent series sweep over reigning ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champions India.
“We are at the bottom of the table, but we won’t be there for too long,” Nath said. “We’ve never beaten Scotland before, but every series is a new start. This group is more united, everyone knows their role, and we’re aiming to win at least three of our four matches.”
The tri-series is expected to play a key role in shaping the final League 2 standings, with Scotland looking to book their place in the World Cup Qualifier and UAE and Canada hoping to keep their qualification hopes alive.
