Scotland cricketers vow to take the game to Afghanistan

Matthew Cross has vowed that Scotland’s cricketers will take the game to their opponents with intent from ball one when they play Afghanistan in the first home international of the year today.

Scotland's Matthew Cross is likely to open the batting against Afghanistan. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images

The national team kick start the summer back at the scene of last year’s greatest triumph when they beat England at The Grange in Edinburgh.

Although the forecast is not looking too clever, the home side are eager to get life under new head coach Shane Burger under way and will hope the predicted rain stays away.

Scotland are ranked 13th in the world in the one day international format with the visitors ranked tenth.

In all that went on afterwards, Cross’ crucial innings of 48 against England last June sometimes gets forgotten about, but it was very important – and he is likely to again be an important man for Scotland during these May internationals, which include another game with Afghanistan on Friday and two with Sri Lanka on 18 and 21 May.

The wicketkeeper/batsman from Aberdeen, 26, said: “What a day that was for all of us against England and I think it was the way in which we went about the game that really pleased us. We played an exciting brand of cricket and want to continue that.”

A lot has changed since that match, with Grant Bradburn having departed as head coach to be replaced by South African Burger, and Cross believes the team can keep growing in the 50-over format under the latter.

“Earlier in the year we had a pretty good tour to Oman with a few ups and downs and when we got back it left us clear in our minds about what we had to work on to get better,” he said.

“Then Shane came on board and he has been really positive from the outset and we really want to build on what we did under Grant with him.

“A lot of us have been pretty busy out there in the middle in recent weeks for various teams and now we are very determined to come back together as Scotland and really play some exciting, clinical cricket.

“We respect Afghanistan hugely, but we are really focusing on ourselves and our own brand of cricket and seeing where it takes us.”

Cross is likely to open the batting with captain Kyle Coetzer and the latter has warned his players to be wary of Afganistan’s handy spin bowlers.

The 35-year-old, due to play in his 51st one day international, said: “When you get ready to play against Afghanistan you know their team has many threats, one of them being the spin bowlers that they can introduce into the game at different stages. Our guys will be ready when that challenge comes while over the winter and in the early part of this season our own spin bowlers have found a bit of rhythm and of form.”