Scotland to face West Indies in July

Scotland will join West Indies, Netherlands and Ireland for a quadrangular tournament in Stormont during July, a spokesman from the Ireland Cricket Union confirmed to Cricinfo today.

Cricket Scotland have been in talks with Ireland, the hosts, to join what was originally a triangular series between the other three countries, and although an official announcement has yet to be made, Cricinfo has learnt a deal has been struck.

The tournament, expected to take place between July 9-15, rules out Scotland's two other previously planned engagements: a European Twenty20 tournament scheduled for the following weekend, and a triangular also involving Ireland and the Netherlands. As ever, the players' full-time jobs inevitably restrict the number of fixtures they can play.

However Scotland, like all Associates, are keen to expose themselves to Full Member nations as much as possible. In addition to the prospect of facing West Indies, Scotland also host India in Glasgow on August 16 - and the board is also in negotiations this week to lure Pakistan in July, a Cricket Scotland spokesman confirmed to Cricinfo, though a date has yet to be named.

And with both India and Pakistan in the country around the same time, the opportunity to host a match between two of cricket's biggest draws is a financial goldmine just waiting to be exploited. The board are in talks with an Indian television station, and details are expected in the next week.

Scotland are participating in the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa in September, gaining qualification to the tournament after reaching the final of February's World Cricket League in Nairobi.