Wright aware of need for Scottish success

Craig Wright: 'I have ample faith in the boys, in their talent, their camaraderie and burning commitment to be optimistic that we will battle together to attain success' © Getty Images

Craig Wright could be forgiven for feeling pressurised at the moment. After all, as Scotland's cricket captain, he will fly to Belfast this week with the knowledge that the whole future of the Caledonian game depends on how his charges fare during the ICC Trophy's punishing schedule of five group matches in seven days against Oman, Papua New Guinea, Namibia, Canada and Holland. Success in the tournament will secure 2007 World Cup qualification, the immediate promotion of Scotland to full ODI status, and yield a clutch of other benefits in its wake. But failure, such as Wright's confreres suffered four years ago, will slash revenue, generate reams of negative publicity, and ensure that the ICC searches elsewhere for new nations to invite to the global party.

In these circumstances, Wright would be only human if he wasn't a tad apprehensive or afflicted with a few frayed nerves. Yet, befitting somebody who eats, breathes and sleeps cricket - as the marketing manager with Cricket Scotland, this fellow is always on-message - he was calmness personified when we met to discuss the prospects for his personnel. Not for him any grandiose claims about the challenges ahead, but simply a phlegmatic philosophy that failure is not an option and that the Scots have derived sufficient confidence from their recent victories in the NCL to believe they can bring their professionalism to the fore, even though they remain an amateur group.

"To be honest, one of our biggest problems last time around [in Canada] was that we allowed the tension to build within the squad, the atmosphere got to us, and we simply didn't do ourselves justice, and both Andy [Moles, the national coach] and myself are determined on this occasion to ensure there is a relaxed environment around the camp," said Wright, at 31, a stalwart with 120 caps, whose peregrinations have steered him to Australia, where he won back-to-back premiership grade titles.

"Of course there is pressure, and I accept there will be no excuses whatsoever if we don't fulfil our aim, because we have played more one-day matches than any of our rivals and we are familiar with the conditions in Ireland, but we can either be like rabbits, trapped in the headlights, or we can embrace this chance and use it as a springboard to galvanise the entire sport. Basically, I have ample faith in the boys, in their talent, their camaraderie and burning commitment to be optimistic that we will battle together to attain success."

Throughout his career, which started at youth international level, and has carried on impressively since he made his senior Scottish debut in 1997, Wright's sangfroid and pragmatism have been constant factors alongside his enthusiasm. He was disappointed to miss out on selection for the 1999 World Cup, the more so considering his exemplary match-winning spell against Worcestershire in the NatWest Trophy the previous summer, but whereas several of his compatriots have hurled their teddies out of the pram at such snubs, Wright is far closer in disposition to Ally McCoist than Colin Montgomerie. "It's true, I usually try to accentuate the positives, and listen to other people's opinions, and although it was a blow to sit out the 2003 World Cup, that has merely sharpened my resolve that we will grab this opportunity by the scruff of the neck," said Wright. "Since then, we have recorded eight victories and a tie in the NCL, we won the inaugural Intercontinental Cup last winter, and beat Bangladesh in September, so there is definitely no shortage of evidence that we are taking strides forward. Going into this ICC Trophy, we are up against three teams (Canada, Namibia and Holland) who were involved in South Africa, so we shouldn't under-estimate any of these sides.

"But while we have carried out our homework on these opponents, we have to focus more on the ability within our own ranks. Yes, it's irritating that Colin Smith will miss two games, because he is involved in the policing of the G8 summit, but we have guys, who are plying their trade, day in, day out, on the county circuit (Dougie Brown, Kyle Coetzer and John Blain), we have strength in depth, and several lads, for whom this competition represents their last chance of appearing in a World Cup, which is a tremendous incentive. All we can do is keep pushing our case with the ICC, strive to move to the head of the queue for enhanced recognition, and I reckon that we have no reason to fear anybody in Ireland.

"As for the future, that is regulated by what happens in the next fortnight, but personally I don't think it's the biggest disaster in the world not to be staying in the NCL, especially with us a part of the new expanded C & G Trophy which the English authorities are implementing. That will leave the schedule clear for meeting some of the A Test teams in Scotland and arranging home-and-way series with the other emerging nations. But hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves...."

Wright, a self-confessed "hopeless spectator" has been forced to sit out the Saltires' last four matches with a groin injury and has required cortisone injections as the prelude to his Irish assignation. But, regardless of that imperfect build-up, exacerbated by the loss of the veteran, Asim Butt, following the latter's drugs ban, Scotland are entering this ICC Trophy with a steely conviction which suggests that there will be none of the catastrophic collapses, which blighted their last campaign under the acerbic Jim Love.

"We shouldn't waste breath becoming too keyed-up about the other countries, we just have to embrace the basic skills we have demonstrated in the NCL, and cut out the silly mistakes which have occasionally let us down," concluded Wright. "If we manage that, we will qualify and then we can turn our thoughts to the semi-finals. I realise we have flattered to deceive in the past, but I have no intention of a repeat performance. I want to be in the Caribbean in 2007 and so do the rest of the guys. That's all that matters and this is the ideal platform to show how much progress we have really made."