When you browse the Scotland-West Indies match report in the news on Sunday morning — which the Scots lost by 35 runs on Saturday — spare a thought for the team that was inducted into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup as a last-minute replacement, only after Bangladesh refused to play in India.
“The other teams had six months to prepare for the tournament; we had a week. You wouldn’t design it as your ideal preparation. But we’re quite relaxed about it because it wasn’t an invitation we were expecting, and we are happy to accept it,” Steve Snell, head of performance, Cricket Scotland, told Metro.
What followed the nod from the ICC was a frantic scramble to reach India. “It was not possible for us to meet in Scotland. I saw the team in one place only after I landed here three days ago,” he added.
Snell was part of the five-member Scottish contingent attending a reception for the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Cup hosted by the British deputy high commission at the Royal Calcutta Turf Club on Friday evening.
“As a group, we were all over the place. Some were playing in different parts of the world, while some guys were at home training. When we found out, it was a nice surprise for us. Of course, we feel bad for the Bangladesh players who are not getting the opportunity. But it’s best for us to focus on ourselves,” said medium fast bowler Jack Jarvis.
Jarvis and the Davidson brothers — Jasper and Oliver — were in Australia. “In winter, some of us fly Down Under to play a few games,” he explained.
Team manager Fiona Rae and Snell, meanwhile, were in Nepal with the women’s team. “We were playing the World Cup qualifiers there. The women have just made the cut for the T20 World Cup coming up in June,” Rae said.
The first priority after confirmation was applying for visas. “The wait was stressful. We landed in India on different dates over the last nine days, once each of us received our visa,” said all-rounder Jasper Davidson.
Even the team jerseys had to be rushed through production.
The jerseys were designed and printed in Edinburgh, after which Charles Paterson, head of media and communications, flew to India. But the jerseys were still not match-ready. “The team sponsorship deal was finalised only last weekend. That meant we had to get the logos printed in Bengaluru itself. They will now be stitched onto the jerseys,” Paterson said.
The team assembled in Bengaluru and played two warm-up matches. “We played Afghanistan and Namibia. Unfortunately, we were on the wrong side of both results. Still, for some guys who hadn’t been playing much cricket, it was good to get back into the swing of things,” Jarvis said.
Snell agreed. “We wanted to give our players time in the middle. We didn’t approach the practice matches in an overly competitive way. We have to find a balance between pushing them for preparation and being realistic. If we do too much, they will pick up injuries.”
Training at Eden Gardens has been a highlight. Practising at the iconic venue is “an amazing experience,” according to the players. Scotland face Italy on February 9 and England on February 14.
Despite acknowledging England as favourites for the Cup, Jarvis remains optimistic. “T20 is a funny game. Last time we faced them in the World Cup, the match got rained off. But we had fancied our chances in the first half. We will give it our best shot,” said Jarvis, who was the 12th man in the 2024 encounter.
Asked whether the team had managed any sightseeing, Snell laughed. “To be honest, we’ve been too busy trying to get everyone here to think that far ahead. I was working 20-hour days with the two teams — men’s and women’s. This is my first night off in three weeks.” There is, however, a sliver of breathing space ahead: a four-day gap after the Italy match. “That might be a window to do something outside of cricket,” he said.
