Photo Credit: ICC
Ahead of the Tri Series between Scotland, Namibia and Nepal next month, Cricket Scotland has unveiled the selected men’s players and has announced Scotland cricketing stalwart Richie Berrington will take up the mantle as captain.
Clydesdale CC and Ayr CC will host the games from 10th – 17th July as part of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, where Richie will make his debut as full-time captain of the men’s national side. Richie succeeds legendary long-time skipper Kyle Coetzer and will be supported by new vice-captain Matthew Cross.
The appointment was decided upon by the men’s coaching team in consultation with senior players and Cricket Scotland’s Interim Head of Performance based on players’ leadership skills and presence, behaviour, strategy, values and passion for the badge.
A permanent fixture on the men’s side for more than a decade, South Africa born Scottish cricketer Richie played in the 2006 Under-19 World Cup and 2015 World Cup for his country. He takes up the role at an important time for the squad, who are looking to gather momentum as they gear up for ODI, T20 and World Cup clashes over the next year, and during a period of significant change in Scottish cricket.
With the first home CWCL2 series for the side since 2019 just weeks away, fans can expect a sense of occasion for Richie’s first outing as men’s captain.
Richie Berrington said: “I feel incredibly honoured and privileged to lead this team and represent my country. Having come through the Scottish system from a young age, I’m very proud to take on the role of men’s captain.
“We have an extremely skilful and talented group of players and a lot of experience in our squad but as a group we are always looking to find ways to improve and I’m looking forward to seeing the team continually move forward.
“As a team we’re very much looking forward to what’s ahead – three home series over the next couple of months is a great opportunity for us to keep building on the team’s recent success and we’ll be doing all we can to produce some good results in front of a home crowd.
“We’ve had a fantastic leader in Kyle, who has been a great ambassador for our sport and I have learnt a lot under his leadership. As men’s captain I am aiming to lead through performance, bringing my experience to the role and giving everything I can to help support the team. Long term, World Cup qualification is key for us and we are determined to keep pushing towards full member status, while continuing to develop the younger players we have coming through.
“It’s without a doubt a challenging time for the sport more widely but we all have an opportunity to play our part and make sure cricket in Scotland is a safe, fair and inclusive environment for everyone. Racism, discrimination and inequalities have no place in the game we all love and I’m looking forward to being part of a brighter future for the sport.”
Cricket Scotland men’s head coach Shane Burger said: “I have no doubt that Richie will lead the Scottish men’s side with distinction and is the right person for the job. His stature not only in the Scottish game, but world cricket, makes him a fitting appointment – we have a leader in Richie that everyone can be proud of.
“We’re also delighted to have added Matthew Cross as vice-captain, providing a platform for him to shape and mould his leadership abilities. This upcoming home series also provides a chance to bring younger and upcoming players into the squads and will no doubt be an exciting development opportunity for many. We look forward to seeing what the next year holds for this team and for Scottish cricket as a whole.”
The new men’s captain and vice-captain will be joined on field against Namibia and Nepal with the following selected team:
- Richie Berrington (c)
- Matthew Cross (wk) (vc)
- Kyle Coetzer
- Calum Macleod
- George Munsey
- Dylan Budge
- Mark Watt
- Safyaan Sharif
- Michael Leask
- Gavin Main
- Adrian Neill
- Hamza Tahir
- Chris Sole
- Chris McBride
Fixtures Schedule
- 10th July – Scotland vs Namibia (Titwood)
- 11th July – Namibia vs Nepal (New Cambusdoon)
- 13th July – Scotland vs Nepal (Titwood)
- 14th July – Scotland vs Namibia (Titwood)
- 16th July – Namibia vs Nepal (New Cambusdoon)
- 17th July – Scotland vs Nepal (Titwood)
All start times are 11am the matches will also be able to view on www.icc.tv. Tickets for all matches are available to buy online now.
Name of Author: Cricket Scotland
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.
