Scotland appoint Doug Watson as men's head coach

Watson had worked as interim head coach for four months in 2023, helping Scotland qualify for the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup and winning five ODIs from a possible seven

Elizabeth Botcherby | 05/03/2024 at 09:22

Doug Watson has been appointed head coach of Scotland's men's national team.

It is a return to familiar territory for the South African, who served as Scotland's interim head coach for four months (April 8-July 31) in 2023.

During that time, he oversaw qualification for the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup, with Scotland winning six matches from six to win the Europe Region Qualifier.

Scotland also won five ODIs from a possible seven with Watson at the helm, narrowly missing out on qualification for the 2023 Men's Cricket World Cup on net run rate.

Watson will return to Scotland in April following the conclusion of New Zealand's domestic season, where he is currently head coach of Auckland Aces. During the 2023/24 season, he has led the Aces to Super Smash glory as well as reaching the final of the Ford Trophy.

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^{Watson will join up with Scotland in April following the conclusion of Auckland's season [Kai Schowoerer/Getty Images]}

His previous roles have included serving as head coach of Namibia (2012-15) and various coaching stints with Mumbai Indians, Wellington Firebirds, Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland and New Zealand.

"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," Watson said.

"There is so much potential within Scottish cricket, especially in the pathway setup. We've seen that recently with the men's Under-19 squad, who performed well at the recent Under-19 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, added: "Throughout [the recruitment process], 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."