Scotland has chosen an untested seamer in its squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India. Zainullah Ihsan, a 19-year-old from Afghanistan who fled to Scotland as an asylum seeker and became eligible to play for Scotland last year, will be looking to make his international debut at the tournament.
The 19-year-old Zainullah has only played tapeball cricket before joining GHK in Glasgow where he quickly improved his skills and caught the eye of coaches.
Scotland's coaching staff, selectors and head of performance Steve Snell have praised the squad selection as "well-balanced" with a mix of experienced players and newcomers. Ihsan was also given praise by Snell for showing a range of exciting bowling skills at youth level.
Amongst other notable names in Scotland's 2026 T20 World Cup squad are Richie Berrington, Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross, Bradly Currie, Oliver Davidson, Chris Greaves, Michael Jones and Safyaan Sharif among others.
The 19-year-old Zainullah has only played tapeball cricket before joining GHK in Glasgow where he quickly improved his skills and caught the eye of coaches.
Scotland's coaching staff, selectors and head of performance Steve Snell have praised the squad selection as "well-balanced" with a mix of experienced players and newcomers. Ihsan was also given praise by Snell for showing a range of exciting bowling skills at youth level.
Amongst other notable names in Scotland's 2026 T20 World Cup squad are Richie Berrington, Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross, Bradly Currie, Oliver Davidson, Chris Greaves, Michael Jones and Safyaan Sharif among others.
! They're giving a chance to this young Afghan asylum seeker, Ihsan, who's only played tapeball cricket before 
. But what does it say about our international policies? Are we welcoming refugees with open arms and opportunities in sports, or are we just using them as a way to boost national pride? 
But who gets to decide what's best for our national team? The coaching staff or the government? 
Scotland's squad selection is interesting, especially with Zainullah Ihsan making his debut. He's got some skills, but it's untested cricket we're talking about here. What if he struggles under pressure? 
On the other hand, having a mix of experienced players and newcomers might just give them an edge. Richie Berrington is still going strong, that's good to see 
. But what about the mental preparation for Zainullah? He's coming from a pretty tough background, I feel bad for him 
. Still, fingers crossed for Scotland, it could be a wild ride 
! On one hand, it's awesome to see Scotland giving a young player like Zainullah a chance to shine in the T20 World Cup - he's got an inspiring story behind him, being an asylum seeker and all 
. And I love that Steve Snell is recognizing his potential, especially with those exciting bowling skills 
.
Still, it'll be interesting to see how Zainullah adapts to the pressure of playing for Scotland and making his debut at such a big tournament! Fingers crossed for him and the team 
.
I mean, I get that the coaches think he's got potential, but didn't they consider having someone with more international matches under their belt? 
. But on the other hand, isn't it a bit risky picking someone who's never played proper cricket before? Tapeball's not exactly the same as the game we're used to watching at the T20 World Cup 
. I mean, can he really handle the pressure of international cricket? The coaches seem confident in him though, and with some good guidance, maybe he'll be a star player 
. seriously though zainullah ihsan sounds like a pretty cool kid, tapeball cricket player turned t20 star, that's some serious growth 
! I'm hyped about Zainullah Ihsan joining the team, it's like a breath of fresh air, right? Asylum seekers making their way into the cricket world is kinda amazing 
! It's awesome that Steve Snell thinks his skills are exciting and stuff 
!
. i mean, gotta respect his determination and all but have they considered his background and how it might affect him on the big stage? like, being an asylum seeker and all... still got to navigate that emotional rollercoaster during tournament pressure. anywayz, hope he can bring some excitement to the team 
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. I mean, he had to leave his home country due to war and now he's getting to live his dream in the UK. He must be super stoked! 
Anyway, it just goes to show that you can learn and grow as a player anywhere. The coaching staff seems pretty confident in him too, so fingers crossed for the kid! 
Only thing is, I hope they've got a team massage therapist on standby because all those fast balls are gonna leave him looking like a crumpled up tissue roll 
. Fingers crossed for Zain and Scotland's squad - let's see what kind of magic happens in India! 
and yeah, it's awesome that scotland's coaching staff chose him, he must be doing something right 
I mean, I know he's got skills and all, but 19 years old is way too young to be thrust into a high-pressure tournament like that. Can't they see that's gonna be a recipe for disaster? 