Mommsen will lead Scotland during their upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Preston Mommsen will captain Scotland during their month-long tour of Australia and New Zealand prior to the start of the 2015 World Cup.
Even though Mommsen replaced Kyle Coetzer as captain for the tour, there has been no word as of yet on who will lead the national team during the tournament.
Coetzer struggled with the bat during his time with Northamptonshire and head coach Grant Bradburn believes that he will definitely benefit by devoting more of his time towards his batting.
“Preston Mommsen is going to lead this team for this tour, while we will announce our World Cup captain when the squad is revealed,” Bradburn said. “We now have a number of potential leaders and players who are desperate and proud to lead their country.
“It is deemed a great honour to captain Scotland. Cricket-wise, however, it’s imperative that a captain can command with his performance. Preston Mommsen will captain on the back of the fact that he has thrived in recent times in this capacity and will lead the team on this tour. Kyle Coetzer is a valued and highly respected senior member of the side, who also has vast captaincy qualities and experience. For this tour I have taken the opportunity to allow Kyle to focus on his own game without the additional responsibility that captaincy brings.”
During their tour of Australia and New Zealand, which gets underway on September 29, Scotland will play Tasmania, Queensland Academy, Canterbury, Otago, an Invitational XI and a New Zealand XI.
“This tour will allow us to have a good mix of game and training time,” Bradburn said. “We have 15 games between now and the World Cup, and this initial tour allows us to work through our combinations and game plans.
“Strategically, we have chosen some quality training opportunities and opposition. It’s a chance to really improve on playing spin and quick pace – something we don’t get the opportunity to do as much as we would in our home conditions.
“Having our full-strength side away on tour allows that strong team spirit to build and develop into a winning culture. Our county players have had an extremely busy summer and it’s an opportunity for them to get into a fresh, new environment. The ability to get away and focus solely on their own games will be a great prospect. Skill development is one of our big features – it’s certainly not that the World Cup isn’t important but growing all-round skills is just as vital.”
Scotland squad: Preston Mommsen (capt), Kyle Coetzer, Josh Davey, Alasdair Evans, Gordon Goudie, Michael Leask, Calum MacLeod, Richie Berrington, Freddie Coleman, Matthew Cross, Hamish Gardiner, Majid Haq, Matt Machan, Safyaan Sharif, Rob Taylor, Iain Wardlaw