World Cup Qualifier: Scotland aim to beat West Indies and clinch finals place
By Phil Goodlad, BBC Scotland, From the section Cricket, http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/43475578
Captain Kyle Coetzer insists Scotland cannot be overawed at facing the West Indies
| World Cup qualifier |
|---|
| Date: 21 March Venue: Harare Sports Club Time: 07:30 GMT |
| Coverage: Live in-play clips & text on the BBC Sport website |
Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer says the national side must play "without fear" against West Indies as they target a place at the 2019 World Cup.
The sides meet in Zimbabwe on Wednesday, with the winner guaranteed one of two automatic berths at the finals in England.
The Scots had been unbeaten in the qualifiers before suffering a 25-run defeat against Ireland.
"We can't play mediocre and win - we have to play well," says Coetzer.
"It's obviously going to be an exciting day and it's a big game, there's no point in hiding away from that fact.
"It's one we've got to embrace and show our skills in.
"There's clearly a lot at stake but the fact we can fight the case, not only for Scotland, but all the associate nations, it would be a great sign [if we win] and show what association cricket is made of.
"It's a big challenge for us against a strong West Indies team but it's not one we're fearing.
"We've discussed facing the West Indies in the dressing room and one of the big points being made is that they're just another name on the sheet; it's something you have to get out of your head and stop worrying about."
The Scots aim to "brush off" the disappointment of the loss to Ireland when they prepare for Wednesday's qualifier.
"When you play against quality opposition, if you don't nail all three facets of the game, then you're going to be up against it," Coetzer added.
"We can't be scared of turning up against a full nation. We've got to imagine that we're a full member nation - we've got to go in with that mindset and that we're able to take them on.
"Everyone handles situations like this slightly differently. We're a quality team now and that will hopefully put us into a good place.
"Our boys are raring to go and I think we're ready to prove something."
| Super Six table | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | L | T/NR | NRR | Pts | |
| West Indies | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | +0.529 | 6 |
| Zimbabwe | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | +0.520 | 5 |
| Scotland | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | +0.315 | 5 |
| Ireland | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | +0.474 | 4 |
| Afghanistan | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -0.023 | 2 |
| UAE | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -2.493 | 0 |
