Scottish captain Preston Mommsen says that it makes no sense to have a qualifying tournament in Bangladesh in 2018 for the 2019 World Cup (50 overs) in England.
Speaking after his team’s maiden victory in any international tournament after the eight-wicket verdict over Hong Kong in an inconsequential match of the Group B qualifiers of the on-going T-20 World Cup cricket championship here on Saturday night, Mommsen remarked: “It should be held in the same country where the main event is held. It makes no sense at all to have it in another country and this needs to be readdressed before the main edition.”
The Scottish skipper was also critical of the format for the on-going T-20 World Cup pointing out that the teams which had already qualified for the main edition should not be made to play another round of qualifiers among themselves.
“This is unfair and doesn’t make any logic. These teams (which played in the qualifiers here) should have played straight away in the main draw,” Mommsen commented.
He also felt that the Associate Members of the ICC need to get more opportunities to play against higher teams.
Reflecting on his team’s maiden win in an international event, a smiling Mommsen remarked: “It's a very good feeling. Bittersweet in many ways, the way this campaign has gone, but at the end of the day we've crossed the line for the first time and it's a very important moment for Scottish cricket.”
Mommsen hoped that Scotland’s performance in this T-20 World Cup should increase the following for the game back home. “It's a momentous occasion, a huge step forward for us, and hopefully we've gained some more followers back home in Scotland through this campaign,” he added.
“Yes, it is regrettable that we have not gone further in this edition and thereby losing another month on TV which is invaluable. But, hopefully we've done enough to gain some more support back home to encourage a few more kids, the next generation,” Mommsen commented.
“Unfortunately we couldn't deliver here though we have shown glimpses of what we're capable of, and we'll keep fighting over the next 12 months, the next 24 months. We'll keep being hungry whenever we get an opportunity,” the Scottish captain remarked.
Hitting out at Harsha Bhogle
“You can either moan about how little you have or you can make the most of whatever you have. For the hungry, opportunity resides everywhere,” was Harsha Bhogle’s tweet in response to Mommsen and other Associate Representatives’ comments about lack of competitive fixtures against Full Members outside the Global tournaments.
Mommsen said he was ‘deeply offended’ and called the tweets ‘very poor’. “His tweets have hurt the other cricketers also. He is a big guy,” the Scottish captain observed.
“I admire Harsha as one of the great commentators but I think he has a responsibility as an ambassador for the game to ensure that he is promoting the right things within the game,” he felt.
“We have exchanged messages and I think he is trying to say that he was implying something else. I am not sure how much I buy that,” Mommsen commented.
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