Scotland announce squad for T20 World Cup 2024; Michael Jones, Brad Wheal return

Scotland has announced their 15-member provisional squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA. There have been some significant changes from their upcoming tri-series squad against the Netherlands and Ireland. The return of experienced campaigners Brad Wheal and Michael Jones has boosted the lineup, while the notable absence of Josh Davey has raised eyebrows.

The Scottish side finds itself in a challenging Group B, alongside cricketing powerhouses like Australia, England, Oman, and Namibia. Their journey begins with a mouth-watering clash against the defending champions, England, on June 4 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

Wheal, a Hampshire seamer, and Jones, a Durham all-rounder, have been cleared by their respective counties to participate in the marquee event, marking their return to the national setup.

Meanwhile, the exclusion of the experienced Josh Davey has left many puzzled. Davey, who has been a pivotal figure for Somerset this season, including taking crucial wickets in their recent County Championship victory over Essex, was not made available for selection by his county.

Also read: Jake Fraser-McGurk on missing out on T20 World Cup squad

Was a really difficult selection meeting: Doug Watson

Scotland's head coach, Doug Watson, acknowledged the difficulty of finalizing the squad. "It was a really difficult selection meeting and it's never easy getting it down to a squad of 15. It was ultimately about getting the balance of the squad just right and we feel we've done that here. It's good that we've got some of our county players available, and we are excited with the 15 we've chosen, so now we can look forward to what lies ahead," Watson said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Watson also spoke about the return of their two experienced players and also explained how the side is looking balanced for the upcoming tournament.

"To have Michael Jones and Brad Wheal available, their experience from previous T20 World Cups is crucial for the group. The bulk of the squad has been together for a while now and did a fantastic job last summer at both the 50-over [World Cup] Qualifier and the T20 Qualifier. It's nice to have a bit of continuity along the way, although they haven't played a lot of cricket since," he added.

Also read: Mitchell Marsh's recovery slower than expected but should be fit to bowl in T20 World Cup 2024: Andrew McDonald

Richie Berrington will be leading the Scottish side for the upcoming ICC event. The camp will be looking to give tough competition to the big teams placed in their group and will be hoping to qualify for the Super Eight round. 

Scotland squad for T20 World Cup 2024: Richie Berrington (capt), Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Chris Greaves, Ollie Hairs, Jack Jarvis, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Charlie Tear, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal