Chance for new faces to impress

Scotland cricket head coach Shane Burger hopes the new faces in his squad can step up in their crucial World Cricket League fixtures.

Teenage wicket-keeper Tom Mackintosh and allrounder Chris Mcbride have been added to the set-up for the trip to Namibia.

There is also another opportunity for Brandon Mcmullen to impress, after he was named in the 15 for the T20 World Cup in Australia, but did not see any action.

Nineteen-year-old Mackintosh made his breakthrough into the first team at Durham this season, playing in both the County Championship and Royal London Cup for the north-east side. He has already represented Scotland at under-19 level.

Mcbride made his senior debut for Scotland earlier this year and played in the one-day international fixtures in Aberdeen in August.

South African-born Mcmullen impressed for Stirling during the 2022 campaign, averaging 53 with the bat and taking 22 wickets at an average of just under 24 runs with the ball.

Scotland flew out to Namibia this week and will face the hosts and Nepal in a tri-series.

A positive run of results could see them advance to the World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe next year.

For Burger it is a chance to see how some of the younger faces fare on the international stage.

“What they bring is a real freshness,” he said. “Tom has played quite a lot of cricket for the first team at Durham this last season.

“I’ve seen him take his game to another level and he’s really confident and mature. That’s great to see.

“He’s doing all the right things at the moment. He’s got two under-19 World Cups under his belt, he’s dabbled in a bit of leadership and got himself a professional contract at Durham.

“He’s had to deal with a lot of tough challenges at the under-19 World Cups and he’ll have come away from it a far better player.

“We’re excited for Tom’s future and he’s going to no doubt do fantastic things for Scotland moving forward.

“For Chris, it’s great to see the hard work he has put in over the last few months.

“He has had a few

opportunities recently and he might not have done as well as he would have wanted to, but there’s a chance on this trip for him to set the record straight.

“There’s a ‘no-fear’ mentality with those sorts of players, which is great.”

There could be an opportunity for all three players to stake their claim for a place in the middleorder, following the retirement of long-serving batter Calum Macleod.

“For them and the rest of the squad, it’s an opportunity to put their hand up and say ‘I want to

go to the qualifier’,” said Burger.

“The exciting bit for me is there will be competition for places and the squad understand their roles at the moment.

“There’s a real motivation to do well and make sure we finish top of the group, where we set our sights three years ago.”

Mcmullen’s potential excites Burger and having seen him around the squad already, he knows what he can bring to the table.

“He’s a very professional character,” he said.

“He’s got a quiet

confidence about him and a great skill set, where he can bring it with the bat, ball and in the field.

“He’s got a lot of respect already in the group with the way he goes about his business, even though he hasn’t made his debut yet.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do on this trip and when you throw him in with Tom Mackintosh and Chris Mcbride, they are most definitely the future of Scottish cricket.”

Scotland play their first game against Namibia on December 1 in Windhoek.

EXCITED: Scotland cricket coach Shane Burger is keen to see his young players play.