Three key men ruled out due to new rules
Scotland have lost three of their leading players due to a change in ICC eligibility rules.
County- based stars Josh Davey, Stuart W hittingham and Chris Sole were all omitted from the squad to fly to Dubai today for a World Cricket League double header against Kenya.
Cricket Scotland say the trio have been forced to make themselves unavailable after the ICC last month brought in a new regulation meaning that players who play for an associate country can no longer move immediately to a full member nation and must instead serve a three-year stand- down period.
With counties now given financial incentives to produce new England caps, it is understood the players came under pressure from their employers.
In the past, Anglo - S cots like DougieBr own and Gavin Hamilton moved straight from playing for the country of their birth to representing England and then had to serve a three-year period before re- qualifying for Scotland. Now the three- year period applies in both directions.
The loss of Davey, Whittingham and Sole is a huge blow to Scotland as they prepare to face Papua New Guinea in two oneday international sand Ireland in an Intercontinental Cup fixture before the Kenya games which will determine whether the country reaches next year’s World Cup qualifier.
However, coach Grant Bradburn insists his squad – featuring three new caps – will be focused on the job in hand. He has called- up Ferguslie’s Michael English and Mitchell RaoofP restwick along with SM RH bowler Elliot Ruthven. The coach said: “Any distractions must not take away from delivering on the field which we are ready to do.” SQUAD: K Coetzer ( capt), C de Lange, A Evans, CM ac leod,C Wallace, ERuthv en, GMunsey, MW att,M Cross, M English, M Le ask, MR ao,R Berrington, S Sharif. SCHEDULE ODIS 24 Nov: Scotland v Papua NG 25 Nov – Scotland v Papua NG Intercontinental Cup 29 Nov– 2 Dec: Scotland v Ireland World Cricket League 6 Dec: Scotland v Kenya 8 Dec: Scotland v Kenya
● All matches at Dubai International Stadium