Cricket Scotland has announced Doug Watson as Scotland Men’s Head Coach. Owing to a wealth of experience, Doug returns to Scotland on a permanent basis, following a successful period as Interim Head Coach during the summer of 2023.
During this period, he led the team during its memorable campaign at the ICC
World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, where Scotland defeated Ireland, UAE, Oman, West Indies, and the host nation.
Doug then guided the squad to victory at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe
Qualifier, which secured qualification for this summer’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in West Indies and USA.
He will join Cricket Scotland in April, following the completion of a successful
season in New Zealand in his role as Men’s Head Coach for Auckland Cricket.
The Auckland Aces won New Zealand’s domestic T20 title, the Super Smash, as well as reaching the final of the Ford Trophy.
Doug Watson said: “I’m really excited to be re-joining Cricket Scotland again. I had a wonderful time here in 2023, and I’m looking forward to getting back to work with the players and staff alike.
“I love the city of Edinburgh and the Scottish people, and working with such a good group of players and seeing their determination and their passion to represent Scotland and the badge was a big part of my desire to come back.
“The Men’s squad are a fantastic group, and we had a great time working together, first out in Zimbabwe and then at the T20 Qualifier.
“There is so much potential within Scottish cricket, especially in the Pathway setup.
We’ve seen that recently with the Men’s U19 squad, who performed well at the
recent U19 World Cup, so there’s a good group of youngsters coming through.
It’s important that we harness that talent and push them and develop them so that they can become successful senior team players.
“We’ve got a lot of hard work to do ahead of the T20 World Cup, but there’s some great fixtures to look forward to. We play England and Australia, as well as Namibia and Oman, so they’re all going to be tough games, but we’ve also got to make sure that we see it as a wonderful opportunity to showcase our passion, our fight, and our skills.”
Steve Snell, Cricket Scotland’s Head of Performance said: “I’m extremely pleased we’ve managed to secure the services of Doug on a permanent basis. We interviewed candidates across the world from a number of high-performance environments, and it was a hugely competitive process.
“Throughout, it was clearly evident that Doug is a high-quality coach with
experience across a variety of environments. He is an excellent cultural fit for
Cricket Scotland, and possesses outstanding cricketing experience, allied to his
superb people skills, and we are really excited about his appointment.
“He will make a huge difference to the game here, not just to the Scotland Men’s squad but also within Scottish cricket as a whole. Doug’s enthusiasm, passion, and interest in improving cricket within Scotland was evident throughout the process.
“We are delighted to welcome Doug back to Scotland, ahead of what will undoubtedly be a hugely challenging, but exciting time ahead for his squad and for Scottish cricket.”
