You would not think, with a T20 World Cup around the corner, that Michael Leask would welcome too many distractions.
However, nothing could be further from the truth for the former Stoneywood Dyce cricketer, who is part of the Scotland squad ready for take-off on the global stage.
His nine-month-old daughter Ivy is back at home with his wife in Dundee and is growing fast.
Leask is one of several new fathers in the Scotland side and, although missing out on big moments is difficult, it has provided him with a welcome release from cricket.
“It just feels like you’ve got other things to think about, rather than cricket 24/7, which is nice,” he said. “I don’t have to go back to my room and just think about cricket; I can phone home and watch her throwing a toy around and it gets your head away from a good or bad day.
“It almost resets things for you. It’s been good for me and a few of the guys having that distraction.
“She’s a real handful. I think I’m getting called all sorts by the wife because she’s crawling and standing and I’m like: ‘sorry, I’m not there’. But she’s got a good group round her and they’re all able to help.”
The Scotland squad has a healthy north-east representation, with Leask joined by captain Kyle Coetzer, wicket-keeper Matthew Cross and Aberdeen-born Josh Davey.
Family back home in the Granite City have been keeping tabs on their efforts abroad over the last month, even if it has made for some unsociable bedtimes.
“They’ve been getting up at silly o’clock to watch the warm-up games and the games in Oman,” said Leask. “They’re cricket-mad my lot. I know guys around the group have had family sitting up all hours in Scotland shirts watching us.
“I think they’d all love to be and that’s another thing for us, where we’re trying to do the whole nation proud.”
After three T20 games against Zimbabwe in Edinburgh, Scotland jetted to Oman at the end of September for a 50-over tri-series with the hosts and Papua New Guinea, which forms part of the 2023 World Cup qualifiers.
Scotland emerged unbeaten, winning twice against PNG and once against Oman, with the other game washed out. They have since beaten PNG, Namibia and the Netherlands in T20 warm-up games, with only an earlier defeat to Namibia as a blemish on their record.
“I can’t say we’re not in a good place because the boys are winning games. We’ve only lost one game since we’ve been away on tour,” Leask said.
“If you said we’d face Oman in Oman, then come to Dubai and have only lost one game since it started, we’d have taken that.
“The way we’re playing the game is exactly the way we’re wanting to. We’re being aggressive, the boys are bowling well and the batters are putting their hand up at different times.”
Leask is happy with his own form coming into the tournament, which has included a player-of-the-match performance in the win over PNG on September 29. The Forfarshire all-rounder notched a half-century and contributed figures of three-for-19 off 10 overs with the ball.
More pressingly, however, he is enamoured with the new threads unveiled for Scotland’s tournament entrance. Gone is the traditional navy blue, with a two-tone purple number in its place.
“Pulling on that purple shirt on Tuesday, there was a definite difference. We’re in that zone now.
“Little things like seeing your own kit gives you a bit of a lift. We’ve been away a month already so it gives you that little boost to find that next gear for World Cup time.
I think is what this emoji 😍 was made for.@GeorgeMunsey @crossy16 pic.twitter.com/rQmGJqsvaK
— Gray-Nicolls (@graynics) October 4, 2021
“Seeing guys loving the kit and getting compliments on it – just even sitting on the sidelines watching your batters thinking: ‘this looks proper now’.
“It’s nice having a bit of a change. When we did the pink kit it was something a bit different, so going with purple is really exciting and we’re looking forward to hitting the ground running in Oman again.”
Their opening group game sees them take on Bangladesh on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, before facing old foes Oman and PNG. All of their group games will be played in the Omani capital Muscat.
The two teams who progress from Group A and Group B will advance to the Super 12, where the big boys of world cricket come into play.
“The way momentum is going for us – they (Bangladesh) haven’t played too many games in Oman and, while they do have match-winners, so do we.
“We’re going in as slight underdogs, but the way we’re playing, the way we’re bowling and striking the ball, we’re in a good place.
“It’s going to be a good game of cricket to start the tournament off. Take them down first, hopefully, then that puts us on the track for success.
“We are wanting in amongst the big boys. We’re looking for a few big scalps; Bangladesh can be the first of many hopefully.
“What would represent success? Getting through the group stages and taking two or three big scalps. The sky is the limit for this group; we’re not putting a ceiling on it.
“We’re talking as if we’re going through. That’s the way we believe as a group. To take a couple of scalps and even aspire to get to the semi-finals and final, that’s something we’re all trying to do.”
