Richie Berrington appointed Scotland captain

Berrington, who has made 255 appearances for Scotland, replaces Kyle Coetzer, who stepped down from the position at the beginning of June

Richie Berrington has been appointed as Scotland’s new men’s captain.

The 35-year-old replaces Kyle Coetzer, who stepped down from the position at the beginning of June, and will make his full-time captaincy debut during the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 in July.

Scotland are set to host Namibia and Nepal for a tri-series between July 10-17.

Berrington has made 255 List A and T20 appearances for Scotland, scoring over 6,000 runs and taking 98 wickets.

In full internationals, he has scored 2,495 runs and taken 33 wickets in 92 ODIs while in 74 T20I outings, he has scored 1,694 runs and taken 27 wickets, including representing Scotland at the 2021 T20 World Cup.

Wicketkeeper Matthew Cross will serve as Berrington’s vice-captain.

^{Berrington takes over from Kyle Coetzer [Alex Davidson/Getty Images]}

Commenting on his appointment, Berrington said: "I feel incredibly honoured and privileged to lead this team and represent my country. Having come through the Scottish system from a young age, I’m very proud to take on the role of men’s captain.

"We have an extremely skilful and talented group of players and a lot of experience in our squad but as a group we are always looking to find ways to improve and I’m looking forward to seeing the team continually move forward.

"As a team we’re very much looking forward to what’s ahead – three home series over the next couple of months is a great opportunity for us to keep building on the team’s recent success and we’ll be doing all we can to produce some good results in front of a home crowd.

"We’ve had a fantastic leader in Kyle, who has been a great ambassador for our sport and I have learnt a lot under his leadership. As men’s captain I am aiming to lead through performance, bringing my experience to the role and giving everything I can to help support the team.

"Long term, World Cup qualification is key for us and we are determined to keep pushing towards full member status, while continuing to develop the younger players we have coming through.

^{Matthew Cross will serve as vice-captain [Francois Nel/Getty Images]}

"It’s without a doubt a challenging time for the sport more widely but we all have an opportunity to play our part and make sure cricket in Scotland is a safe, fair and inclusive environment for everyone. Racism, discrimination and inequalities have no place in the game we all love and I’m looking forward to being part of a brighter future for the sport."

Head coach Shane Burger added: "I have no doubt that Richie will lead the Scottish men’s side with distinction and is the right person for the job. His stature not only in the Scottish game, but world cricket, makes him a fitting appointment – we have a leader in Richie that everyone can be proud of.

"We’re also delighted to have added Matthew Cross as vice-captain, providing a platform for him to shape and mould his leadership abilities. This upcoming home series also provides a chance to bring younger and upcoming players into the squads and will no doubt be an exciting development opportunity for many. We look forward to seeing what the next year holds for this team and for Scottish cricket as a whole."

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