Cricket Scotland is pleased to issue an update on the Hall of Fame, including the appointment of three new members of the Hall of Fame Appointment Panel, along with the announcement of four nominees to the Hall of Fame for 2025.

Hall of Fame Appointment Panel

The Cricket Scotland Hall of Fame Appointment Panel, formerly the Hall of Fame Committee, reports to the Cricket Scotland (CSCL) Board with recommendations on proposed nominees to the Hall of Fame. The Panel is chaired by the President of Cricket Scotland.

Members of the Appointment Panel have been appointed as per the updated Hall of Fame Appointment Panel Terms of Reference, which were redrawn as part of recent wider governance changes. These appointments were made following consideration of membership against quorum and at the request of the Panel Chair. The appointments were subsequently approved by the Board.

Cricket Scotland Hall of Fame Appointment Panel Members

Omar Henry (Chair)
Ricky Bawa
Kari Carswell
William Dick
Jack Ker
Sanjay Patel
Bruce Patterson

Ricky Bawa, Kari Carswell and Sanjay Patel have joined the Panel, replacing retiring members Ryan Watson and Neil Leitch.

2025 Hall of Fame Nominees

The 2025 Hall of Fame Nominees were proposed by members of the Appointment Panel and unanimously approved by the Board. The four will be publicly recognised and inducted during the 2026 season.

Kari Carswell

Kari Carswell (née Anderson) is rightly regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of Scottish women’s cricket, having been involved for nearly thirty years at all levels.

She played in the very first official Scotland Women’s match in 2000, a seven-wicket win against Northumberland Women, becoming Scotland cap number 1 in the process. She was only 17 years old at the time, in what was naturally an inexperienced team, but was able to make telling contributions in the four matches which took place that season.

Kari played a total of 18 consecutive seasons for Scotland, her seam bowling complementing her early order batting to make her the talisman of the team throughout her lengthy representative career.

Kari’s early career was closely associated with Stirling County Cricket Club, before she went on to undertake many years of administrative and coaching work in Scotland, New Zealand and England, with Cricket Scotland, Northern Districts and Middlesex CCC, respectively.

Kari Anderson Pulls (3)

While many of her matches for Scotland were against English county sides, she also participated in eight European Championships and five ICC World Cup Qualifying events. She signed off in style, her final 50 being against South Africa in the 2017 ICC World Cup Qualifier.

Since 2024 Kari has returned to Cricket Scotland make her mark on the next generation of Scottish cricketers, in her role as National Pathways Coach and Head Coach of Scotland Women U19. She guided the U19s to the 2025 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, where they qualified for the Super 8 stage for the very first time.

While Kari’s performances over the years have been integral to the progress of the Scotland international team, equally important is the regard she is held in by all in Scottish cricket. It was therefore inevitable she would be the first female inducted into the Hall of Fame, and she has subsequently accepted an invite to join the Cricket Scotland Hall of Fame Appointment Panel.

Neil McCallum

Neil McCallum was undoubtedly one of the most hard-working and dedicated players to represent Scotland, reaping a deserved reward in the form of 135 caps and 2,904 runs.

His ODI bow in 2006 against a star-studded Pakistan at The Grange gave a true indication of what “Macca” would go on to offer his country. With his team struggling at 20-4, McCallum strode purposefully to the crease and dug in for a defiant 68 as the Scots recovered from 20-4 to post a respectable 203-8.

Indeed McCallum, an utterly selfless cricketer, always seemed to be at his best when the chips were down. “Crisis, what crisis?” he seemed to say before going on to dig his team out of another hole thanks to that winning combination of unflappable temperament and reliable technique.

N.mccallum 2

One of his most memorable knocks came in just such circumstances during a crucial World Cricket League clash with Ireland in Nairobi in 2007. Chasing 280, the prospects were not bright for the Scots as they wobbled precariously on 160-6. It was, though, a situation made for McCallum who proceeded to compile his first ODI century as Scotland won a last-ball thriller.

While frequently excelling in white-ball cricket, McCallum’s talents were perhaps best suited to the first-class game in which he registered three centuries and boasted an exceptional average of 44.62 – the highest by a Scot in the modern era. His unbeaten 104 in the final of the Intercontinental Cup in 2010 was a Macca masterclass in which he doggedly repelled a potent Afghanistan attack who restricted the remaining ten Scottish batters to just 108.

McCallum enjoyed a successful club career, captaining Watsonian to the SNCL first division title in 2000 before moving to Grange where he won several league and cup titles including the CS Grand Final in both 2015 and 2018. The ultimate team man, he was a player who made the most of his talents, honing them through hours of hard work and determination.

George Reifer

George Reifer first came to Scotland in 1987 as professional to the Edinburgh Academicals club in the East of Scotland League. Born and brought up in Barbados, George had played First Class cricket there for six seasons, including an innings of 71 against a full-strength England side led by Ian Botham.

He returned to Scotland the next year, topping the league batting averages. He then moved to Uddingston in 1989, settling down and qualifying to play for Scotland by residence.

George Reifer1

George’s Scotland career started in 1991, when he was selected for the five competitive matches against English County sides. He then accompanied the Scotland team on their first ever tour outside Europe, when they visited Johannesburg & Pretoria on a 1992 pre-season Tour. He was thereafter a regular in the team until the end of the 1996 season, playing a total of 53 cap matches for his adopted country. This figure would have been even greater if he had not been forced to withdraw from the Scotland squad which competed in the 1997 ICC Trophy staged in Kuala Lumpur.

Capable of grinding out a score as well as exhibiting West Indian flamboyance, George also took 34 wickets as a change bowler with his medium pace bowling. He scored a total of 1763 runs at an average of just under 42, second highest of any player with more than 15 Scotland caps.

Fraser Watts

Fraser Watts is a member of an elite club of players who have represented Scotland on more than 200 occasions.

Rated a promising seam bowler as a teenager, it was as an attacking top order batter that Watts emerged as an international class player, making his senior debut in 1998 - the same year he played in the U19 World Cup in South Africa.

Spanning some fourteen years, his cap career had many highlights including an ODI century against Canada and a highest First-Class score of 146 against UAE. A true team man – his was frequently the booming voice bellowing encouragement from his beat on the boundary – Watts was also one of the finest fielders of his generation, boasting impressive athleticism and a strong arm.

Unusually, Watts occupied almost every position in the batting order for his country – only No.10 eluded him – but it was as an opener that he established himself, 141 of his 213 innings coming at the top of the order. Tall, and with a trademark upright stance, he grew into the role and loved to meet the new ball with a straight bat, scoring many of his runs through mid-off and mid-on.

In addition to the centuries already mentioned, he scored a further First Class hundred against Ireland, a match-clinching 118no in an Intercontinental Cup clash with Ireland in Dublin in 2004. His highest score came two years later against Denmark in the European Championships, a swashbuckling 171.

Fraser Watts 2007 T20

‘Fraggle’ starred in Scotland’s inaugural appearance at a T20 World Cup, top-scoring with a hard-hitting 35-ball 46 against Pakistan at Kingsmead, Durban, in 2007 and the same year took part in the 50-over event in the Caribbean. A final appearance on the global stage came at the T20 World Cup in England two years later.

Watts spent much of his lengthy club career with Carlton, winning the Scottish Cup in 2017 to add to a haul of four Murgitroyd T20 Cup winners’ medals. There was also a successful stint at Greenock where he boosted his tally of domestic honours as a key member of a star-studded Glenpark outfit.

Omar Henry, Cricket Scotland President, said:

“On behalf of Cricket Scotland and the Appointment Panel, I would like to congratulate each of the new inductees on their entry into the Cricket Scotland Hall of Fame. Their contribution to Scottish cricket has clearly made an enormous impact in the growth of the game, and to be recognised in this way is a huge honour.

“It is my wish that the new Hall of Fame inductees continue to contribute and play a significant role in the future of Scottish cricket. Together as a community, we are stronger and able to achieve more.

“I am also very pleased to welcome our new Appointment Panel members, who all bring a wealth of knowledge and perspective to this group. I am excited about working with them and utilising their support and input, as we strive to grow the profile of the Hall of Fame and continue to honour those who have given great service to the game of cricket in Scotland.”

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