World Cup winner helps out Saltires’ opponents

Scotland will come up against world-beating pedigree when they take on old foes Afghanistan in their ICC World Twenty20 opener.

Preston Mommsen’s team are well-acquainted with Afghanistan from many associate battles, but today in Nagpur there will be another familiar face helping the opposition.

Afghanistan appointed Pakistan’s former World Cup-winning batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq to succeed Andy Moles as coach last November.

For Scotland, however, there will be no distractions to their goal this week – trying to book their place against England and other Test-playing nations in the Super 10 stage by winning three qualifying matches in five days.

To progress they must top Group B, and Thursday’s match against favourites Zimbabwe will become crucial only if they can first beat Afghanistan.

In the second match of the tournament, after Zimbabwe and Hong Kong have first kicked things off at the same venue, the Scots will need to be at their best under lights.

Mommsen said: “We don’t play (night games) much back home, and obviously during this tournament we’ve got a few fixtures under lights.

“In India that is a factor, with the dew and the wet ball.”

Scotland’s second and final warm-up match against the Netherlands was abandoned on Sunday because of rain, with their opponents – beaten by Afghanistan three days ago – on 133 for three after just 15.1 overs in Mohali.

Mommsen added: “It’s another chance to play on the big stage and show that we are challenging as a top associate nation.”