The national selectors have today announced the fifteen man squad that will travel for a month’s training and competition programme in South Africa.
 
The tour to South Africa, supported by the ICC through their Targeted Assistance Performance Programme, will enable the players to play a series of T20,  50 over and multi-day games against some of the leading domestic first class teams in South Africa. 
 
Cricket Scotland can also confirm that a Scotland XI will face the reigning IPL champions, The Kolkata Knight Riders, as part of the Indian side’s warm up for the Champions League.  This showpiece game will take place on 9th October with the Scots also facing the Highveld Lions on the same day.
 
The matches on tour will be played by a Scotland XI and will not be capped matches.  The squad will travel to South Africa on Saturday 6th October returning 6th November, and will be based at Senways Park, Potchefstroom.
 
With a heavy playing programme this winter, and with many squad members having work or university commitments in the first half of the winter, the selectors have taken the opportunity to introduce some new faces into the squad. 
 
With a change in the ICC regulations enabling players with both British passports and Scottish parentage to play for their country, four players will be integrated into the squad during the tour.  Matt Machan (21) plays for Sussex as a top order batsman, Rob Taylor (22) of Leicestershire is an all-rounder, David Murphy (23) is a wicketkeeper/batsman with Northamptonshire, while the quartet is completed by Richard Coughtrie (24) the Gloucestershire wicket keeper.  The other uncapped player in the squad is 21 year old Stoneywood Dyce all-rounder, Michael Leask.
 
With both Gordon Drummond (work commitments) and Kyle Coetzer (honeymoon) unavailable for the trip, the captain for the tour will be Preston Mommsen. 
 
The Squad in Full:
Richie Berrington, Richard Coughtrie, Josh Davey, Alistair Evans, Ryan Flannigan, Gordon Goudie, Majid Haq, Moneeb Iqbal, Michael Leask, Matt Machan, Calum MacLeod, Preston Mommsen (capt), David Murphy, Safyaan Sharif and Rob Taylor
 
In a further boost for the Scottish team, the updated ICC rankings have seen Scotland overtake Afghanistan to be ranked 14th in the world.  In the last three years, Gordon Drummond’s team have won 64% of their ODIs against Associate members.
 
Commenting on the forthcoming tour, Andy Tennant, Cricket Scotland’s Head of Performance stated, “This tour is a great opportunity to have a month training at a world class facility and playing against high quality opposition. 
 
With next year providing the unique opportunity to qualify for both the 2014 World T20 and the 2015 World Cup in the 50 over format, this trip will provide excellent preparation for the challenges ahead. 
 
Commenting on the additional new players, Tennant explained, “Cricket Scotland has always taken great pride in it's teams having a majority of home grown cricketers, who are products of our excellent age group and academy system.  This will always be our aim, however where we can supplement our squad with eligible Scots who have been developed elsewhere, we will.