Saltires coach boosts squad for Africa tour

UPBEAT Pete Steindl last night looked forward to Scotland’s tour to South Africa and claimed size matters.

The Saltires coach believes results are secondary on the 13-game trip to Potchefstroom. However, he is determined to return with greater depth to his playing pool. Steindl will introduce a total of five debutants during the month-long sojourn – four newly qualified English-born players and Stoneywood-Dyce’s Michael Leask.

Steindl said: “I will measure the success of this tour on whether we can come back and say we have 22 players who are good enough to play for Scotland on any given day.

“At the moment we probably only have about 15 and I know we have to increase that – in number and quality. It will be a great chance to see what the new players have to offer and, just as importantly, how our established guys respond.”

Leask, along with Sussex batsman Matt Machan and Richard Coughtrie, the Gloucestershire wicketkeeper, are likely to get their first taste of action in next Tuesday’s T20 clashes with Highveld Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders.

However, David Murphy, of Northants, and Leicestershire’s Rob Taylor will not join the squad until later next week due to prior commitments.

Steindl added: “The good thing about the trip is that we are playing as a Scotland XI and we will be able to chop and change to give everyone a good chance of showing what they can do.”

The Scots fly to Johannesburg today.