Scotland head coach Shane Burger hopes Scottish cricket receives a timely boost from two major tournaments held on home soil.
Scotland face Oman and Papua New Guinea at Aberdeenshire’s Mannofield ground this week, in the first of tournament of the World Cup qualifying process.
In the first of 126 One Day Internationals that form the qualifying process for 2023, Scotland face Oman today. They play Papua New Guinea on Saturday, Oman again on Sunday before their final game against PNG on Tuesday.
Burger, who took over as head coach in January, hopes the game in Scotland can receive a boost from a fresh audience.
He said: “It’s an exciting time. The players always wanted the chance to play as much cricket as possible. The pressure and competition will be high and ultimately it will show what these guys are all about.
“One of the reasons we’re bringing the tournament up here (Aberdeen) is to bring it to the mainstream. Hopefully people will see some good cricket over the next few days, support the lads and we can gain a few fans. It gives Aberdeen a chance to show what they are all about as well.
The Mannofield tournament will be a homecoming for wicket-keeper Matthew Cross, who grew up playing for Aberdeenshire, while skipper Kyle Coetzer and all-rounder Michael Leask played for their city rivals Stoneywood-Dyce.
Burger added: “I say to the boys before they play ‘find something that motivates you’. Being in their home town, with friends and family coming along, might act as motivation for some of the guys.”
