OMER HUSSAIN, a 23-year-old left-hand bat who is averaging over 62 runs per innings for Ferguslie in the Lloyd's TSB cricket premiership this season, was today given a late call-up to Scotland's squad for two overseas Inter-Continental Cup assignments starting this week.
Hussain, whose cousin, Majid Haq, is also in the squad set off for the four-day clashes against Bermuda and Canada after Grange stalwart Gregor Maiden was forced to withdraw due to pressure of business.
For Hussain, the trip will be a chance to a
dd to a haul of 15 caps already gained and highlighted by a half-century at Surrey for Saltires in only the second match of his international career back in 2005.
The call-up also adds weight to claims by skipper Fraser Watts that youth is being given its chance at a time when there are a series of prestigious fixtures ahead in 2008.
The Scots – who can no longer lift the Inter-Continental Cup – have rested experienced individuals such as Craig Wright, Ryan Watson, John Blain and Gavin Hamilton.
One impact of this is that it gives Carlton batsman Watts, 29, the chance to build on his experience of captaining the side to a Friends Provident Trophy success at Lancashire in May.
The situation surrounding the national side is extremely fluid; places are up for grabs in both the forthcoming world twenty:20 tournament and World Cup qualifiers, as well as the long-awaited August 18 encounter with England at Raeburn Place.
The stand-in skipper is certainly in no mood to accept a second-best tag for his squad ahead of their two four-day encounters.
"So far as I'm concerned we're going out to represent Scotland and that means adopting a pretty bloody-minded attitude to winning," said Watts, as rain cascaded down outside the Carlton clubhouse on Saturday just prior to the Lloyd's TSB Premiership clash with Greaves Clydesdale being washed out.
He added: "The lads who have come in aren't just being given an opportunity for the sake of it – they're the ones who have been producing the goods at club level and for Scotland A as opposed to being in on potential this time.
"Form has played a big part in selecting the 13-man squad and the likes of Gordon Goudie (West], Qasim Sheikh (Clydesdale] and Richie Berrington (Greenock]) all represent the new wave of talent.
"They can be to the fore as we close in on the England game while looking to take advantage of Zimbabwe's misfortune in withdrawing from the world twenty:20 tournament, since three qualifying places will now be up for grabs instead of two."
The recent heavy defeat by New Zealand reinforces the view that there might soon be a changing of the guard at Scotland's top level, although Watts made the point that they're unlikely to come up against such quality opposition very often.
"New Zealand are ranked number three in the world and for Scotland to have had a chance of winning meant everything going our way. Instead, right at the outset they won the toss and put us in on a wicket where we'd have fancied our chances of applying some pressure early on if roles had been reversed.
"It wasn't to be, but there were positives from the tri-series, particularly the win over Ireland where Gavin Hamilton hit 50 and then kept going on and on, past his century mark.
"That is something we can all learn from in terms of kicking on past a half-century."
"I've not had too many opportunities to be a captain but have enjoyed myself when leading, for example, Scotland under-23s a few years ago.
"In looking to set an example, I remember how well-served Carlton have been by Cedric English with Craig Wright doing a sterling job for Scotland for much of the time I've been in the Scotland set-up, before handing over to another fine leader in Ryan Watson. I'm not one for long speeches but, if points have to be made, I like to chip in.
"Besides, anybody who aspires to play for Scotland shouldn't need motivating and first up against Bermuda there is the incentive of setting the record straight after a loss to them in a twenty:20 tie which occurred after we'd already qualified for the last world tournament.
"As for Canada, they'll be particularly dangerous at home.
"While the Inter-Continental Trophy may be out of reach for us we can still return very much the better for our opportunities over the next fortnight."
Scotland squad for matches against Bermuda (July 10-13) and Canada (July 16-19): Fraser Watts (Carlton, captain); Richie Berrington, Dewald Nel, Sean Weeraratna (all Greenock), Gordon Drummond (Watsonians), Gordon Goudie, Dougie Lockhart (West of Scotland), Majid Haq (Ferguslie); Ross Lyons, Qasim Sheikh (Clydesdale), Neil McCallum, Omer Hussain (Ferguslie). Colin Smith (Aberdeenshire, wicket-keeper.
The full article contains 832 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
