The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Defining moments await as Scots prepare for key games
Captain Kyle Coetzer believes Scotland’s future on the international stage could be shaped in a single week.
The national team will take on Pakistan in two Twenty20 internationals next summer at the Grange in Edinburgh immediately in the wake of the one-day international against England at the same venue. Coetzer said: “To have the chance to take on a hugely talented Pakistan line-up at home is wonderful news for our players and supporters.
“Coupled with the England fixture, it will enable us to show how far we have come in the two one-day formats of the game.”
The captain added: “We have beaten Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka this year and the aim is to take more scalps of frontline nations.
“We want to test ourselves against the world’s best and in Pakistan and England are two of the current best sides.
“Along with the approaching qualifying tournament ahead of the World Cup, it is starting to look like an exciting one for everyone involved in the sport in Scotland.”
The encounters against the Pakistanis on June 12 and 13 will be Scotland’s first Twenty20s on home-turf against a major nation.
England are the visitors on June 10. l Faf du Plessis has been appointed as South Africa’s one-day captain.
The batsman replaces AB de Villiers, who recently resigned from the 50-over captaincy, and it means Du Plessis is now the Proteas’ captain in all three formats of the game.
Du Plessis has captained his country in 14 Tests dating back to August 2016 and in 32 of his 36 Twenty20 internationals – the format in which he first took on the role in December 2012.
De Villiers served for six years as one-day captain.
The 33-year-old stood down from the role last month in order to commit himself to playing regularly in all three formats.