ICC gives Scotland eligibility boost

Cricket Scotland received a major boost at the ICC AGM with the decision that players not born in the country could nevertheless be eligible to play for them.

As Scotland does not issue its own passports, and the British passport is not accepted as it covers numerous ICC members, players who have Scottish born parents but were themselves born outside of Scotland were not eligible unless they moved to Scotland for a four year qualification period.

''We are obviously delighted by today's ICC decisions,” said cricket Scotland CEO Roddy Smith. ''The issue has been a prominent one for a number of years and we welcome the decision to allow players with Scottish parentage to be able to apply to the ICC for exceptional circumstances.

"As the Scottish passport does not exist, and parentage is not a recognised criterion , it has meant that many potential players who have one or both parents born in Scotland have been ineligible to play if they were born outside the country. Cricket was almost unique in Scottish sport by being unable to select such players.''