Scotland are relishing the chance to face England at the T20 World Cup following the release today of the draw and schedule.
Defending champions England will play Scotland, Australia, Namibia and Oman in Group B in the tournament hosted by the West Indies and the United States. The top two sides qualify for the Super Eight phase.
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The all-British meeting will take place on June 4 in Barbados and Scotland captain Richie Berrington is excited at the prospect of facing Jos Buttler’s men.
He told the BBC: “It’s a great draw for us to play, in England and Australia, two of the best teams in the world, so as a squad we are really excited about that.
“It’s a great opportunity for us, especially at a World Cup. Namibia and Oman are two excellent sides as well, which we’ve had great battles with over the years.
“As we know with these tournaments, a lot of the time on your day, if you have a good day anything is possible. As a squad, we want to keep building on the success we’ve had, particularly in T20 cricket, so this is another great opportunity for us to do this on the world stage.”
The @T20WORLDCUP match schedule is here! 🌍🏆
Fixtures, dates & locations announced! 📝#T20WORLDCUP | #ENGLANDCRICKET
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) JANUARY 5, 2024
Scotland have never played England in a T20I but did, famously, beat their neighbours in their last one-day international meeting in 2018.
Berrington added: “The game against England in 2018 was a special day for everyone involved and I think for everyone in Scottish cricket. It was one of the best atmospheres I’ve been involved in during my career with Scotland, to have the crowd behind us like that at home.
“It’ll be an exciting game for us first up in the group, and hopefully we’ll get a few people travelling out to the Caribbean to support us as well, so it should be a great occasion against the defending champions.”
India and Pakistan were paired together in Group A, along with Ireland, Canada and the USA. The high-profile clash between the two Asian heavyweights will take place in New York on June 9.
Group C comprises New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea while Group D features South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal.