The qualifier is an eight team tournament and as per the rules, Scotland will have to end in either the first or second position to qualify for the T20 World Cup next year © Getty Images (representational image)
Scotland women will leave today for Bangkok, Thailand to participate in ICC Women’s World T20 qualifiers. 14 Scotland women who were picked in their squad for the qualifiers will leave from Glasgow, Scotland today in the hope to qualify for ICC Women’s World T20, which shall be played in India in February 2016. The qualifier is an eight team tournament and as per the rules, Scotland will have to end in either the first or second position to qualify for the T20 World Cup. Earlier, Scotland male cricketers had succeeded in qualifying for men’s T20 World Cup which shall take place in August 2015 i.e. around five months after the women’s tournament. Women’s World T20 qualifier 2015: Scotland announce squad
In a conversation with edinburghnews.scotsman.com, Scotland women’s skipper Abbi Aitken said, “We are under no illusion of the task that lies ahead and are well aware that we need to go out there and make it happen for ourselves. I fully believe that we have prepared the best we possibly could have with the resources that Cricket Scotland have available. It’s fantastic to see the support that we’ve got already, and that’s before we’re even out there. There’s a great belief around the team – and as long as we go out there, play like I know we can do, and back our skills – I have no doubt that we can walk away from this tournament as better players. The learning experience will be invaluable for us.” READ: ICC Women’s T20 Qualifier scheduled announced
“We have a lot of very enthusiastic ladies, aged from 15-33, who are looking forward to experiencing an event of this magnitude. It’s also fantastic to see how the women’s game in Scotland has grown over the years, and that more and more females are participating in the sport at a decent standard; I think that is reflected in the ‘new look’ of the squad travelling to Thailand. It would be by far the best achievement in our history if we were to qualify for India next year – an absolute dream come true.”