GAVIN Hamilton summoned a new generation of cricketers to stand up and take Scotland forward yesterday after digesting the loss of a third senior player in less than four weeks.
Colin Smith's international retirement, hard on the heels of former captain Craig Wright calling time on his Scotland days and John Blain walking away from the World Twenty20 in a rage, has left new skipper Hamilton drastically short of proven per
formers.
The 34-year-old batsman is now the only player on the scene who represented Scotland in the 1990s but, having already watched Dougie Brown, Paul Hoffmann and Ian Stanger fade off the radar since 2007, he is now accustomed to farewelling the old guard.
The only exit Hamilton did not see coming was that of fast bowler Blain, who continues to be persona non grata in Scotland circles and no attempt will be made, confirmed the captain, to tempt him back.
"I have not heard from him and he has certainly not heard from me. John has made his own bed and he simply cannot play again. You can't do things like that and expect to play for your country again," Hamilton told The Scotsman. "That's the way I see it, and I know everybody in Cricket Scotland feels the same. I haven't spoken to him and I've not got that much to speak to him about at the moment."
Two weeks ago, Hamilton was appropriately generous in his praise for the outgoing Wright, and the exit of wicketkeeper/batsman Smith invokes similar sentiments.
The big Aberdonian police officer scored 20 half-centuries and counted 55 stumpings among his 261 dismissals. Amassing 181 caps – fewer only than Wright – he reserved some of his defining performances for the big internationals, and retires as the only Scot, apart from Hamilton, to have scored 50 at a World Cup – against champions Australia in 2007.
Hamilton made a clarion call after the World Twenty20 for players with steely character to come out of the woodwork, and Smith and Wright stand as monuments to what can be achieved with plain old determination. "They both worked so hard at their game and they knew exactly what their limitations were and what their strengths were," said Hamilton.
"It's not all about performance – it's just about trying to find a couple of players who've got something about them when their backs are against the wall."
Hamilton refused to accept that losing three players in the wake of Scotland's woeful World Cup qualifying bid in April gave the lie to reports of a harmonious dressing-room. He said he was more concerned by the shortage of talent coming through.
"(Smith and Wright] will be sorely missed because they were two high-class performers and proven performers against very good opposition. But this was always coming. There has to be a stage where Cricket Scotland really starts to take a step forward because things haven't been working over the last few months.
"It's hanging there now, literally, for somebody to say, 'look, I'm going to score this amount of runs or take this amount of wickets and I'm going to play'. Simple as that, but unfortunately nobody is really shining out above the rest. If people really want to play, you've got to stand up and be counted because the caps aren't just going to be given out for the sake of it."
Smith, who confirmed his retirement yesterday, had been planning to quit at the end of the season but elected to bring the date forward after being told by head coach Peter Steindl he would not feature in the ICC Intercontinental Cup, which starts in Aberdeen next Thursday. "Pete told me he wants to build the team for the challenges of four years' time, and no-one can criticise him for that," Smith said.
"I wanted to be involved with the World Cup qualifier in South Africa and the World Twenty20 in England. Now that these competitions are over, there seemed no reason to delay making my decision public.
"I have had some great times and shared in good results with my team-mates over the past ten years. I remain astonished that an amateur cricketer like me can have the opportunity to play against every world-class nation, and most of their world-class players, on some of the most beautiful grounds in the world. It wouldn't happen in any other sport, and I have been greatly privileged by the experience."
