Scotland is one of the ten esteemed participants who will embark on a journey to Zimbabwe to engage in the highly anticipated Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023. The cricket authority of Scotland has already announced the selected players for the Qualifier round. Scotland first joined the World Cup Qualifier in 1997 and has participated in the tournament six times. They were also champions in the 2005 and 2014 World Cup Qualifier rounds. With successful qualifications for the World Cup on three occasions, Scotland made their debut in the event in 1999.
Scotland is placed in Group B alongside Oman, Ireland, UAE, and Sri Lanka. Their journey in the Qualifier round will commence with a match against Ireland at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on June 21, 2023. Afterward, they will face UAE in their second match on June 23, 2023, at the Bulawayo Athletic Club in Bulawayo. On June 25, 2023, Scotland will compete against Oman in their third match, followed by their final game against Sri Lanka on June 27, 2023, at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
Scotland Squad ICC World Cup Qualifiers 2023
- Richie Berrington (Captain)
- Christopher McBride
- Alasdair Evans
- Chris Greaves
- Michael Leask
- Tomas Mackintosh
- Safyaan Sharif
- Jack Jarvis
- George Munsey
- Matthew Cross (wk)
- Adrian Neill
- Brandon McMullen
- Chris Sole
- Hamza Tahir
- Mark Watt
Scotland, under the leadership of Richie Berrington, possesses a formidable team as well along with Doug Watson as a head coach. George Munsey, Matthew Cross, and Captain Berrington bring a wealth of expertise and will be crucial contributors. Matthew Cross has been added to the squad as a wicketkeeper-batter. Chris Greaves and Michael Leask serve as the team's all-around specialists. Alasdair Evans and Safyaan Sharif provide pace bowling alternatives, while Hamza Tahir and Mark Watt excel as specialist spinners.
Scotland has their gaze fixed on a potential breakthrough triumph in the upcoming Cricket World Cup in India. However, before reaching that stage, they need to prove themselves in the Qualifier in Zimbabwe. It's an opportunity for Scotland to demonstrate their ability to defeat strong teams like Sri Lanka and secure one of the two available spots for the Cricket World Cup.
In 1999, Scotland made their debut in the Cricket World Cup where they were kept in Group along with Australia, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Pakistan, and West Indies. They faced Australia in their first match and lost the match by 6 wickets. Unfortunately, they could not win a single match and were eliminated from the competition.
Following their inability to qualify for the 2003 World Cup, Scotland successfully qualified for the 2007 edition held in the West Indies. However, similar to their previous experience, Scotland did not manage to secure a single victory in their matches and were once again eliminated during the group stage.
Despite their unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the 2011 World Cup, Scotland successfully secured qualification for the 2015 tournament through their victory in the 2014 Cricket World Cup Qualifier. However, Scotland faced a setback as they were unable to secure a single victory in their group matches, leading to their elimination from the tournament.
As of June 2023, Scotland has appeared in 146 matches where they won 63 matches and lost 75 matches with 7 matches ending without any outcome. As of June 2023, they have played 4 ODIs this year and successfully achieved victory in 2 matches while facing defeat in 2 matches. Currently, they are placed in the 12th position in the ICC ODI team ranking.