Rogers speaks about typhoid nightmare

Glenn Rogers batting during his ODI debut in Bangladesh last December © AFP

A fortnight ago, Glenn Rogers was stricken by typhoid while on tour with Scotland's cricketers in Kenya and was "absolutely devastated" at the possibility of missing out on next month's World Cup. But yesterday, the 29 year-old Stenhousemuir allrounder was in joyous mood after being confirmed as part of the 15-man squad, which will venture to the Caribbean for the sport's premier competition at the end of February.

Unsurprisingly, it has been a fraught time for the Australian-born player, who now lives in Stirling with his wife, Sarah, and baby son, Cameron, but last night, even as he spelled out how he suffered agonising pain and endured dramatic weight loss during his sojourn to Mombasa for the World Cricket League, he expressed confidence that he would emerge stronger from the experience. "It has been a bit of a nightmare and basically, I could hardly believe what I was hearing when I was diagnosed with typhoid. At first I put it down to sunstroke, but suddenly I had terrible diarrhoea, bouts of vomiting, and my temperature shot through the roof, so much so that I was on fire at one stage," said Rogers, who only made his debut for his adopted country shortly before Christmas.

"Whilst this was happening, I did begin to worry what was going on. I lost 7ks (15lbs) in as many days and I joked to my team mates that at least if my cricket career was over, I would be able to get a job as a jockey. But, on the flight home to Scotland, I was utterly disconsolate and it seemed as if I had lost my World Cup chance. However, I have been on an intensive course of tablets - I come off them tomorrow - and I have had an interview with public health officials, as well as speaking to a specialist in tropical diseases in Aberdeen, and while I have to continue having tests, the authorities seem quite relaxed. I'm still not 100%, and I will have to work hard in the gym for the next few weeks, but that is no big deal when I think what I felt like at the beginning of February and my goal now is to be fit for the friendly against Sri Lanka on March 5."

Rogers' rapid recovery has allowed the Scottish coach, Peter Drinnen, to choose the same squad, which was originally selected for the WCL, in which Craig Wright's personnel finished as runners-up and qualified for the inaugural Twenty20 World Championships in South Africa in September. But, for the moment, Rogers, whose spin bowling in tandem with Majid Haq and Ross Lyons may prove crucial if the Scots are to have any chance of combating the superpowers of Australia and South Africa in their group, is simply relieved that he has rallied from an illness which still proves fatal to many people in Africa.

"When I phoned Sarah to break the news that I had typhoid, she was really shocked, and her first thoughts were for Cameron, who is only five months old, but we have all pulled together and I am feeling better with every passing day," said Rogers. "It feels incredible that I will be travelling to the West Indies in less than three weeks, but the Scotland team offered me incredible support when I was ill and I have to repay that faith in Barbados and St Kitts. All of us will certainly be giving it our best shot."