BENGALURU: Barely a couple of weeks ago, Finlay McCreath was putting his feet up at home in Scotland, resigned to the reality that his team had missed out on a sixth T20 World Cup appearance after falling short in the qualifiers. Then came that unexpected twist.When Bangladesh pulled out of the event, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, Cricket Scotland moved swiftly to assemble a squad — and McCreath received a call-up.
“I was just at home. We were told selection was happening that day, so it was a case of waiting without much expectation,” said the 27-yearold batter.One of the team’s key batters, McCreath, revealed the players had to navigate a period of uncertainty in the lead-up to the ICC invitation.“There were a lot of rumours flying around on social media. The emotions were mixed — mostly uncertainty — because we didn’t really know what was going on,” he said, “But we kept training with the hope that if the call did come, we’d be ready.”While Scotland lost both their warm-up games at the BCCI Centre of Excellence here, against Afghanistan and Namibia, they have arrived with an experienced squad. More than half a dozen players were a part of the 2021 T20 World Cup, which reached the Super 12s.That said, for several players, including McCreath, this marks a maiden trip to India.The side also hasn’t played a T20 match outside Europe since the 2024 World Cup in the West Indies and the US. Still, McCreath believes the opportunity outweighs the setbacks, calling it a significant moment for a Scottish team currently in transition.McCreath, who has featured in 10 ODIs and four T20Is, feels the experience within the squad will hold Scotland in good stead. “There are players in the group who’ve been here before and have shared their experiences. We also have some exceptional players who enjoy the big occasion and aren’t afraid to put their hand up when the team needs them,” he said.“That helps with consistency. At big tournaments like this, we feel we have players who step up and enjoy the challenge,” said McCreath.
