T20 World Cup 2026: Scotland selects uncapped seamer Zainullah Ehsan in the squad

Scotland handed a maiden call-up to seamer Zainullah Ehsan for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India.

The 19-year-old was born in Afghanistan and came to the UK as an unaccompanied asylum seeker before being granted refugee status in 2022.

He only played strip cricket before arriving in Glasgow, where he joined the GHK Cricket Club.

He became eligible to play for Scotland last year and could make his international debut at the World Cup having previously represented Scotland A.

Finlay McCreath, Oliver Davidson and former New Zealand captain Tom Bruce are also included, while captain Richie Berrington is one of 11 players to feature in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Hampshire’s Scott Currie was ineligible for selection after appearing as a substitute fielder for England during the T20 series against Ireland last year.

“The coaching staff and selectors and I are very excited about the team that has been selected,” said Head of Performance Steve Snell.

“We feel it is well balanced and caters to a lot of different scenarios and challenges the team will face in India.

“There is clearly a great opportunity for Zainullah Ehsan and whenever he plays at youth level or for the A team, he shows an exciting range of skills and plays the ball with real pace.

“We are happy for him and excited to see his performance on his first international tour.

“Oli Davidson has worked tirelessly on his skills and has shown a tremendous desire and work ethic in recent months to improve and he fully deserves a call-up.

“All the players are really excited to face the best in the world and seize the opportunity they have been given. The team is full of quality cricketers who are ready to perform, and are keen to make an impact on the big stage.”

Scotland failed to qualify for the tournament after losing to Jersey and Italy in the qualifiers, but were called up late after Bangladesh decided to boycott the event.

Scotland, ranked 14th in the world, replaced absent Bangladesh as they were the highest-ranked team not already in the tournament and will take their place in Group C.