2 weeks Ago
Andy Umeed is hoping it will be a case of third time lucky as he looks to finally get his Scotland career properly up and running. The Somerset batter was still a teenager when he made his international debut back in 2015 and then had to wait nine years for his second appearance earlier this year following an extended break away from cricket. His one-day international debut against Canada in March ought to have been the start of a renaissance but a fractured finger sustained while fielding forced him out of the rest of that tour and all but ended his prospects of playing at the T20 World Cup.
And more on that later. Umeed instead endured six weeks of rehabilitation and then went on to enjoy a productive summer with Somerset as the cider county pursued honours on three fronts. A clutch of runs quickly brought him back to the attention of the Scotland selectors who named him in the squad for the latest round of World Cricket League 2 that gets underway in Dallas today in a tri-series also involving the United States and Nepal.
With fellow opener George Munsey missing out with an injury this time, there ought to be plenty of opportunity for Umeed to shine and the Glaswegian is eager to make the most of it off the back of making a century against United States 'A' in a warm-up game. “I’m excited to be back in the fold again,” he says. “I was obviously a bit disappointed only to play in the one game earlier in the year due to injury so it’s been great being back in the mix.
“I enjoyed being back in camp for that short time before. The lads have had a pretty settled team over the last five to 10 years so it was nice to see some familiar faces, both players and coaches. It was a good experience and hopefully this time I can stay around for the whole trip! “Any team you play for, you hope you can be part of things for the longer term.
First of all I have to keep playing well for Somerset and bring that into the Scotland set-up and then the rest will hopefully take care of itself.” A lack of top-level T20 experience might have gone against him in any case but Umeed confirms that Somerset likely wouldn’t have released him – or team-mate Josh Davey – even if Scotland head coach Doug Watson had wanted to take him to this summer’s World Cup. “It was a bit of both,” he adds.
“I hadn’t played a lot of T20 cricket and not really been in the fold for Scotland. Plus there was the availability aspect with Somerset. They’re my primary employer, as it were, and the fixtures clashed.
“It was unfortunate not to be available for that but the boys did so well out there. It was a shame they didn’t quite sneak over the line and get out of the group.” There will be other opportunities for him to fulfil that ambition, of course, both in the T20 and the 50-over format of the game.
World Cricket League 2 is a long and often draining process but, as part of the qualifying route to the 2027 World Cup in southern Africa, it could be a worthwhile journey. “That’s definitely something I’d hope could be a part of my long-term future,” he adds. “Tournaments like that are always big occasions for Scotland so that would be great if I could go to one of them.
But that’s a long way off at the minute. It’s just one round of fixtures at a time and see if we can reach the qualifier to make sure we’re in with a chance to go to the World Cup when it comes around.” Umeed has no regrets at not going to the T20 World Cup, instead throwing himself into a busy summer with Somerset in which they at one point threatened to win three trophies – including what would have been a maiden county championship success – only to fall just short on all fronts.
No cricket fan could have watched the viral celebrations and not smiled after Jack Leach’s wicket late in the day against Surrey – with every fielder right around the bat – and Umeed admits it was a fun place to be the last few months. “As a club we’ve had a brilliant summer,” he confirms. “It’s obviously disappointing not to come away with at least one trophy for the first team, although the second XI got the T20 trophy.
So, mixed emotions with the way it all ended but playing this much cricket can only be helpful. “It’s been different for me coming away from working a 9-5 to going back full-time to cricket. But it’s been nice to spend a lot of time with the guys on and off the field, playing golf or just hanging out together.
There’s not a whole lot going on in Taunton so we make the most of each other’s company! I’ve got another year on my contract there so we’ll see how things pan out but I’ve enjoyed it so far.”.
