Photo Credit: ICC
Calum MacLeod insists Scotland’s approach will not change as they prepare for their Group 2 opener against Afghanistan in the Super 12 stage.
Scotland qualified in style, topping Group B courtesy of three consecutive wins including an eye-catching triumph over Bangladesh, and now have their sights set on causing further problems for full member nations.
Afghanistan have won all six previous T20Is between the sides – though the two nations have not met in this format since March 2016 – and MacLeod believes his ever-improving side can continue their momentum.
“The good thing of having the first round is that we’ve come in with confidence,” he said.
“We’ve obviously topped that group with three good hard games of cricket, so I think we’ll come into the game with confidence.
“Obviously it’ll be Afghanistan’s first game in the tournament, and we can also go in there and put some pressure on them.
“I said before the first round that we feel we’ve got a batting unit filled with some exciting, powerful players, and we just hope that we’ll be able to showcase that.
“Just because we’re now into the Super 12s, I don’t think that changes much for us. We’ll come and play the aggressive type of cricket we want to play.”
Afghanistan are in their fifth year of full ICC membership and their path is one Scotland are looking to emulate.
More performances in the manner of those which got them to the Super 12 stage could prove useful in accelerating that process and MacLeod has urged his teammates to seize the opportunities which lie in wait in the UAE.
“We want to be the leading associate, and we want to push our case to be the next full member,” he said.
“If you look specifically at the way Afghanistan and Ireland did it, they did it from doing well at World Cups, and we’ve now got five great opportunities to go out and show world cricket what this organisation and the team is about.
“For the players, it’s a great showcasing opportunity to show some of the T20 skills this group has and get them out there on the world stage.
“You never know what sort of opportunities can come on the back of this for some of the players if they have a good group stage.”
For Afghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi, the tournament represents a chance to put smiles on faces amid a turbulent period back home.
Spin duo Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, third and fifth respectively in the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Bowling Rankings, will be crucial if Afghanistan are to mount a challenge for semi-final qualification and Nabi is looking forward to his side getting their tournament underway.
“Everyone knows that back home in Afghanistan there’s a lot happening and everything from the last few months,” he said.
“But from a cricket point of view, everybody is ready for that World Cup and we prepared well for this World Cup.
“The fans are really waiting for this because the only happiness in Afghanistan is cricket.
“If you’re willing to do well in the tournament and we win the games, the fans are really happy and there will be a lot of smiles on faces.
“We know each other very well from the last few years and we have played a lot of cricket in UAE. We know the conditions, how it’s worked and every player knows that as well.
“We are well prepared and we’ll try our best.”
