Photo Credit: Cricket Scotland
A further extension of Spain’s restrictions on British travellers has forced Cricket Scotland to call off the women’s national team series against Ireland due to take place in La Manga later this month.
The two countries had planned a five-match multi-format series to take place at the neutral venue. But despite a painstaking planning process, followed rigorously by both countries, the renewed travel restrictions placed on British nationals arriving in Spain, have made it impossible for the tour to go ahead,
The series had been planned around an expectation that the rules would be eased on March 16. But the announcement by the Spanish Government on Tuesday that constraints on British nationals arriving in Spain would be extended to March 30 makes it impossible for the Scotland team to travel.
Cricket Scotland CEO Gus Mackay said: “It is very disappointing that we have not been able to make this series happen. Many hours of work have gone on behind the scenes to ensure that the players could train, travel, and play in a COVID-safe environment.
“It is a particularly hard blow for the women who have taken time off work to play these matches, only to have their plans reversed. They have been training hard and looking forward to getting back out on the pitch.
“I would like to thank Cricket Ireland’s High Performance Director, Richard Holdsworth and his team, for all the work they put into planning the series with us, and the team at La Manga who have gone over and above to accommodate us.
“Everyone at Cricket Scotland is keen to be playing again as soon as possible and we’ll continue to look for ways, within the COVID-19 restrictions, to allow our athletes to return to competitive cricket against other nations as soon as possible.”
With little cricket played in 2020 due to the pandemic, this year is crucial for Scotland’s women with both ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games qualification at stake.
Cricket Scotland, formerly the Scottish Cricket Union, is the governing body for cricket in Scotland, based at the National Cricket Academy in Edinburgh. Established in 1908 and restructured in 2001, it became an ICC Associate Member in 1994. The organization includes three sub-associations: the East of Scotland Cricket Association, Western District Cricket Union, and Aberdeenshire Cricket Association.
