Scotland Vice-Captain Optimistic About Revamped T20 World Cup Format
Scotland’s vice-captain Matthew Cross has welcomed the changes to the T20 World Cup format, believing it presents a “good opportunity” for his team to cause an upset against the tournament’s heavyweight contenders.
With the new structure, Cross and his teammates will directly face defending champions England, as well as Australia, Namibia and Oman, in the group stage, rather than having to navigate a preliminary round first.
“The opportunity is greater because we get to play two of the top teams, any which group you end up in,” Cross said. “So, that’s not always guaranteed.”
The wicketkeeper-batter is confident his side can win at least three of their four group matches to secure progression to the Super 12s.
Scotland have fond memories of their last encounter with England, a thrilling six-run ODI victory in 2018. And while they are yet to face the current T20 world champions, Cross believes his team is capable of springing another surprise.
“It’s a really exciting opportunity for us as an Associate nation to get to play England,” he stated. “Although we’re very close to England we don’t seem to play them very often but we’ve got great memories from the last time we played them, so to get to play them at a World Cup is pretty special.”
Adapting to the expected slow and low pitch conditions at Kensington Oval will be crucial, with Cross acknowledging the importance of individual brilliance and collective team effort in the shortest format.
“It’ll just be about who can adapt the quickest and find the best way to score runs,” he said.
Scotland will open their campaign against England in Barbados on Tuesday, determined to seize the chance provided by the revamped tournament structure to showcase their talents on the global stage.
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