Scotland announce 15-member squad for ICC T20 World Cup

EDINBURGH: Scotland Cricket on Thursday announced a 15-player squad for this year's ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.

Pacers Josh Davey and Brad Wheal impressed during various stages of last year's edition of the tournament in the UAE and have been selected in a strong squad that will be captained by experienced batter Richard Berrington.

Richie Berrington will lead the side which includes Chris Greaves who made his debut at last year's ICC T20 World Cup scoring a match-winning 45 versus Bangladesh. Matt Cross will keep wicket and deputise for Berrington.

Young batter Brandon McMullen also earned a call-up. Experienced seamers Ali Evans and Gavin Main miss out on the final 15, while highly-rated batter Oliver Hairs is also a notable absentee.

The improving Scotland team will rely heavily on Berrington to provide the bulk of their runs, while veteran duo Henry Munsey and Calum MacLeod are also capable of scoring well.

Berrington's experience will be valuable in Scotland's top order, with the 35-year-old hitting two half-centuries and contributing a team-best 177 runs during last year's event.

The right-hander will need to be at his best again this year if Scotland are to progress through to the Super 12 stage, with Berrington's side drawn in Group B of the first round alongside Ireland, Zimbabwe and the West Indies.

On the squad, head coach Shane Burger stated in an official statement released by Scotland Cricket, "We are very pleased and excited to announce our 15 players for the T20 World Cup.

We have selected 15 that we believe will make the desired impact we are looking for. For those players who are not going to the world cup, we look forward to seeing them challenging for international honours in years to come."

Burger continued "We are very pleased and excited to announce our 15 players for the T20 World Cup. We have selected 15 that we believe will make the desired impact we are looking for. For those players who are not going to the world cup, we look forward to seeing them challenging for international honours in years to come.

"The squad has a blend of youth and experience alongside locally based players and County representatives. The balance of the team and chemistry is crucial to contributing to performances at the World Cup. We believe we have a good mix of the above and have selected players that are in form and can perform under pressure," he added.

Cricket Scotland's interim Head of Performance Toby Bailey said "I would like to thank George Salmond for chairing the selection meeting and Moneeb Iqbal for acting as an advisor. These two roles provided thorough checks and useful challenges to the process, enabling Shane Burger and the selectors to pick the World Cup Squad.

"Scotland will take on the West Indies in their opening match of the tournament at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on October 17.

Scotland T20 World Cup squad: Richard Berrington (c), George Munsey, Michael Leask, Bradley Wheal, Chris Sole, Chris Greaves, Safyaan Sharif, Josh Davey, Matthew Cross, Calum MacLeod, Hamza Tahir, Mark Watt, Brandon McMullen, Michael Jones and Craig Wallace.