McBride handed recall as Scotland name squad for ICC CWCL2 series in Netherlands

Edinburgh, April 25 (IANS) Chris McBride has been handed a recall in Scotland’s squad for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League (CWCL) 2 series, set to take place in the Netherlands from May 4-16.

Scotland will play two ODIs against the Netherlands, followed by playing three 50-over games against the UAE, with Amstelveen and Utrecht being the venues. Apart from McBride being recalled to the squad for the first time since 2023, Finlay McCreath receives his first full international call-up after impressing on the current tour of Zimbabwe, including a century against Zimbabwe 'A'.

“I'm delighted for Finlay McCreath to have this opportunity, he's worked exceedingly hard at his game for a significant period of time now, and his numbers in domestic cricket have been excellent.”

“It’s also great to see Chris McBride back in the squad. He’s had a challenging year with not being involved at the international level, and put in some excellent domestic performances in 2024, and over the winter has spent time in South Africa working really hard on his game,” said Steve Snell, Cricket Scotland Head of Performance, in a statement.

Cricket Scotland also said a number of players not included in the squad were considered for selection, but they were not available due to various reasons – either work, personal circumstances or county commitments in England.

“It’s an extremely important year for us in terms of the road to qualification for the 2027 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, as consistent and successful performances in Cricket World Cup League 2 are fundamental to that.”

“The squad are currently in Zimbabwe, which is excellent preparation for such an important summer, and has allowed us to also give opportunities to burgeoning players to put a case forward and perform in 50-over cricket this year.”

“Naturally, international teams, and particularly successful ones, have players banging on the door for selection, and the calibre of players both in and outside the squad is excellent, creating a strong competition for places, which will only strengthen the team as we move forward,” added Snell.

Scotland squad: Richie Berrington (captain), Charlie Cassell, Matthew Cross, Bradley Currie, Jasper Davidson, Chris Greaves, Jack Jarvis, Michael Leask, Chris McBride, Finlay McCreath, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Charlie Tear and Mark Watt

--IANS

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