Dubai: Scotland might have found the going tough in the ongoing T20 World Cup Super 12 stage in UAE, but skipper Kyle Coetzer wants the boys to learn as much as they can by playing against the big boys in world cricket.
Going into the clash against India, Coetzer says while he wants the group to play hard on the pitch, he would also love for them to learn from the Indian cricketers on how to improve on the big stage.
Speaking to ANI, Coetzer said he would love to have the likes of Virat Kohli walk into the Scotland dressing room after the game to have a chat with his boys.
“We would, they are excellent ambassadors of the game. We want our guys to speak to them, be it Kohli or Williamson or Rashid Khan. That is the only and best way to learn. We used to be able to do it in the pubs before, but now we cannot,” he smiled.
#SpiritofCricket – Pakistan team visited Namibia dressing room to congratulate them on their journey in the @T20WorldCup#WeHaveWeWill | #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/4PQwfn3PII
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 2, 2021
“The squad will learn from every experience. To get to play against the likes of India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh is just brilliant. It is a good experience playing against the best at the top level. The guys will come away with a lot more life experiences, not just cricket experiences. We are ranked 12th in the world and while some people may talk about the gulf, but I believe it is a good achievement.”
Asked about walking out for the toss with one of the best batters in world cricket, he said: “That game could be one of the biggest, if not the biggest game Scotland have ever played in terms of how large the game is in India and how impactful a lot of the players are.”
Standing next to Virat at the toss will be a special occasion for anyone, not just for me. He is an idol of the game and the stylish manner he scores. Was fortunate to bump into Kane Williamson in the lift so that was an occasion to chat. But with Virat, I have not had that opportunity to have any conversation. We want to play hard and push India on the day, we understand that is a tough challenge, but we have to be realistic and try and be honest to ourselves.”
Life in the bubble isn`t easy, but the Scotland skipper says the opportunity to learn cannot get bigger than this and he wants the boys to take the positives out of this journey.
“The bubble life has its challenges and before we left we had agreed to find the positives out of this. It has its challenges and sometimes it can be trickier than other times. When we were in Oman, it was very good and we had the whole resort.
A little trickier here because we are a little more restricted but all in all it has been a positive experience,” he pointed.While the top teams have sponsors backing them, life on the road isn`t that easy for some of the minnows and Coetzer reveals how he also has two jobs along with playing for Scotland.”
The full-time contracts I believe need to go up because I am one of those full-time contracted and I have to work two other jobs. All my jobs are involved in cricket, so I am involved in coaching at Durham cricket club in various minor counties and I run a local club as well. We need to find more money. What I think and we as a group believe is that we have to find a way to have guys solely focus on cricket for the year. Important for us to find extra funding,” he explained.
Asked if this showpiece event could be an audition for the IPL considering two new teams will be a part of the league from the 2022 season, he said: “Of course it is. Every opportunity in the world is an opportunity for someone to be seen and find exposure to play in the various tournaments. We have players playing in different tournaments, IPL isn`t one we have managed to crack yet, but it will happen one day. It just takes time and so we need to find support to turn players focus solely on cricket.”
