Scotland v Sri Lanka: Hosts deserve to be in Test nation company - Calum MacLeod
Last updated on .From the section Cricket
| One Day International: Scotland v Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|
| Venue: The Grange, Edinburgh Date: Tuesday, 21 May Time: 11:00 BST | |
Scotland will be "trying to prove a point" against Sri Lanka in their second one-day international, says batsman Calum MacLeod.
The first of two matches in Edinburgh was abandoned on Saturday without a ball being bowled, but the sides will try again on Tuesday.
In their last game, the Scots lost to Afghanistan in a rain-affected series.
"Playing a Test nation is something this side wants, challenging ourselves against the best," said MacLeod.
"We feel we deserve to be in amongst that company."
MacLeod made 100 as Scotland reached 325-7 against Afghanistan, but the visitors were awarded a win by two runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method after getting to 269-3 from 44.5 overs.
The narrow defeat came after the first scheduled match was washed out without a ball being bowled and was Scotland's first home ODI since beating England in June 2018.
MacLeod's brilliant 140 not out was the foundation for success against the team then ranked number one in the world.
"We are trying not to see that as a flash in the pan, other people expect that of us now," he said of Scotland's most famous victory.
"This team has moved on massively since then. It's opened up a whole new possibility of how well we can play."
Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are preparing for the World Cup, which starts in England and Wales at the end of May.
The ICC opted to cut the tournament from 14 teams to 10, with Scotland narrowly failing to qualify after a DLS loss to West Indies in Harare in March 2018.
MacLeod, 30, admitted watching the action on TV will be "heartbreaking".
"The 1999 World Cup in England are some of my earliest memories of cricket," he said. "I remember thinking at the time 'I want to go and do that'.
"To only have 10 teams and for it to be so close to home, to deny Scottish kids the opportunity to see a Scotland team play, it's narrow-minded from the ICC.
"The way we felt in Zimbabwe after getting so close is certainly not how I want to feel again. We'll use that as a motivation for the next one."
Scotland squad: Kyle Coetzer (captain), Dylan Budge, Scott Cameron (cover), Matthew Cross (wk), Alasdair Evans, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Calum MacLeod, Gavin Main, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Tom Sole, Craig Wallace, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal.
