The Scotland Men’s squads have been confirmed today for the forthcoming tour of the UAE in February and March.
The tour will consist of four ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 fixtures against Canada and the UAE, followed by three T20 internationals against the UAE. Two squads have been picked to compete across the multiple formats.
Three players feature in the Men’s senior squad for the first time. 22-year-old Scott Currie of Hampshire is the younger brother of Brad Currie, who made his Scotland debut last year. 19-year-old wicket-keeper batsman Charlie Tear, contracted to Sussex, is picked in his first senior international squad, while Heriots’ all-rounder James Dickinson also receives his first call up.
Batsman Andrew Umeed, 27, returns to the squad after a successful 2023 season with Somerset. The former U19 international made his Scotland debut against Afghanistan in the Intercontinental Cup in 2015. Another returnee is Brad Wheal, whose most recent appearance was at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2022.
Richie Berrington will captain both squads, while the coaching team will consist of Stevie Gilmour, Moneeb Iqbal, and Andy McKay. All three assisted Doug Watson during last year’s successful ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier. The recruitment process for a new Men’s Head Coach is currently ongoing.
Head of Performance, Steve Snell said:
“This tour is a great opportunity for our players to go out and compete in a variety of formats, and the selection has been about trying to find a balance, firstly between producing our strongest possible performances in the first round of CWCL2 matches, and secondly on having an eye on future demands.
“It’s no secret that the Men’s squad haven’t had any matches for nearly six months, so it’s important we give as many people as possible an opportunity to play some cricket, whilst remaining competitive on the field. These squads give several players an opportunity to show what they can do, as we look ahead towards the T20 World Cup in the summer.
“Andy Umeed has a very strong connection with the national setup, even though he hasn’t played for Scotland for some time. He’s a player of fine pedigree, and his performances last season for Somerset were outstanding in white ball cricket. He’s keen to get involved and excited to represent his country, so it’s great for both parties.
“Scott Currie is obviously following in his brother’s footsteps, after Brad made such an impact for us last summer, but he’s a great player in his own right. He’s tall, bowls at a good pace, and an excellent fielder and competitor like his brother.
“Their family have a rich connection with Scotland, and in the conversations that I’ve had with Scott about playing for us, it’s clear he is deeply emotionally connected and the opportunity for him and Brad to play alongside each other for Scotland is huge. From our perspective, he absolutely enhances the quality in our squad.
“Charlie Tear played phenomenally well for the Scotland U19 squad a couple of years ago and deserves his opportunity to step up. We have a skills gap at wicketkeeper since the retirement of Tom Mackintosh, and Charlie now has the chance to back-up Matt Cross with the gloves. He’s also a very strong batsman in his own right so it’s exciting to have him in the squad.
“It’s important to incentivise and provide a pathway to our players who play locally, and I think James Dickinson is a good example of that with his inclusion. He’s performed really well in club cricket for a number of years, and what the coaches have seen in training is someone who can give the ball a really good rip as a leg-spinner in T20 cricket, which is hugely important.”
Steve also gave an update on the process to appoint a new permanent Men’s Head Coach.
“We’re currently interviewing for the position of Men’s Head Coach, and we’ve been really impressed with the quality of the candidate pool and the level of interest from around the world. While the process is still ongoing, I’m confident we’ll appoint an individual who’ll make a really positive impact on cricket in Scotland.
“There’s no specific time frame on announcing that appointment, but I’m really excited about the candidates we have. Ahead of concluding that process, Stevie Gilmour, Moneeb Iqbal, and Andy McKay will oversee the coaching for this tour.
“One of the key areas I was aware of coming into this job was that we needed intellectual property and understanding of the players who have been in the squad. Stevie, Moneeb and Andy spent lots of time with the team last year and have that understanding of the group, which is really important just now.
“It’ll be good for the players to have those three coaches with them in Dubai, and it’s a fantastic opportunity for some Scottish coaches to be involved in leading the national squad.”
ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 Squad
| Richie Berrington (captain) | Clydesdale |
| Matthew Cross | Heriots |
| Brad Currie | Sussex |
| Scott Currie | Hampshire |
| Chris Greaves | Grange |
| Michael Leask | Forfarshire |
| Brandon McMullen | RH Corstorphine |
| George Munsey | RH Corstorphine |
| Safyaan Sharif | Perth Doo’cot |
| Chris Sole | Grange |
| Hamza Tahir | Ayr |
| Charlie Tear | Sussex |
| Andrew Umeed | Somerset |
| Mark Watt | Heriots |
| Brad Wheal | Hampshire |
T20 International Series Squad
| Richie Berrington (captain) | Clydesdale |
| Matthew Cross | Heriots |
| Brad Currie | Sussex |
| James Dickinson | Heriots |
| Chris Greaves | Grange |
| Oli Hairs | Watsonian |
| Jack Jarvis | Grange |
| Michael Leask | Forfarshire |
| Gavin Main | Heriots |
| Brandon McMullen | RH Corstorphine |
| George Munsey | RH Corstorphine |
| Safyaan Sharif | Perth Doo’cot |
| Chris Sole | Grange |
| Charlie Tear | Sussex |
| Andrew Umeed | Somerset |
| Mark Watt | Heriots |
A number of other players considered for selection were unavailable for this tour due to county commitments.
Fixture schedule:
| February 24 | Warmup fixture | UAE XI | Dubai |
| February 26 | Warmup fixture | UAE XI | Dubai |
| March 1 | CWCL2 | Canada | Dubai |
| March 3 | CWCL2 | UAE | Dubai |
| March 7 | CWCL2 | Canada | Dubai |
| March 9 | CWCL2 | UAE | Dubai |
| March 11 | T20i | UAE | Dubai |
| March 13 | T20i | UAE | Dubai |
| March 14 | T20i | UAE | Dubai |
For information on the process of squad selection for this tour, click here.
