Scotland’s cricketers are a resilient bunch. They need to be, given the difficulties of making progress in the sport with the reputation as being God’s frozen people.
Yet even the most optimistic Scottish fan will appreciate the scale of the challenge facing Grant Bradburn’s squad after the draw for next year’s World T20 competition in India was confirmed today.
The Scots find themselves in Group B along with ICC Full member. Zimbabwe, the rising stars of Afghanistan and Hong Kong. They will probably have to beat the first two teams to have any chance of progressing when their tournament kicks off on March 8.
Only the group winners will advance to the main event and the chance to lock horns with South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and England, the latter of whom have already won this competition and have improved dramatically in recent outings.
In short, it will be a tough task for any of the Associate nations to make an impression, but this is a rare opportunity for such talented performers as Kyle Coetzer, Preston Mommsen, Calum MacLeod, Richie Berrington and Michael Leask to shine on the biggest of stages.
And it will all take place in front of crowds who love the T20 format, on the back of the phenomenal success of the Indian Premier League.
The Scots have proved in the past that they can pose problems for any opponents. Berrington’s brilliant hundred helped them beat Bangladesh on the T20 circuit, while Coetzer’s magnificent 156 at this year’s World Cup should have been the catalyst for a famous victory.
But Bradburn’s personnel have suffered plenty of last-gasp hitches and heartaches. The priority now is to emerge on the right side of contests which go down to the wire.
Our cricketers used to relax during the long winter. But there won’t be any time for that as the leading lights prepare for another appearance in the international spotlight.
It might be the last for a while, given the ICC’s controversial decision to reduce the 2019 World Cup to just 12 participants.
Hence the need for Scotland and Ireland to show their mettle when the action starts in March.