Full-time coach could be dropped

Record debts may force Cricket Scotland to shelve plans for having a full-time coach for the national team, according to The Scotsman. The debts, said to be in the region of £50,000, will be announced at the forthcoming AGM.

Although the Scottish board will receive a grant from the Sportsscotland, the coaching position may still have to be scrapped. The news comes just weeks after Scotland thrashed Canada in the final of the ICC Intercontinental Cup.

Over 20 applications have been received to take over from Tony Judd, who worked on a part-time basis and retires from the post at the end of the year. Omar Henry, South Africa's convenor of selectors even expressed an interest. Whoever the coach turns out to be in 2005, their main task will be helping Scotland finish in the top five of the ICC Trophy, to be held next July in Ireland, in order to qualify for the 2007 World Cup.