Scotland have strengthened their A-team for next month’s short tour of Jersey, bringing in Hampshire opener Ali Orr and Nottinghamshire quick Conor McKerr.
The pair, both qualified through family links, are set to feature in four T20s at Grainville on 18-19 April—though final availability still hinges on county commitments. Cricket Scotland admitted the squad remains “subject to confirmation of availability of players currently contracted to English counties”, with Orr, in particular, likely to stay at home if Hampshire pick him for their Championship match against Somerset.
At 24, Orr was once talked about as one of the brightest young run-scorers in England after graduating from Sussex’s academy. A broken arm in his first season at the Ageas Bowl stalled that momentum, yet his selection feels significant for a Scotland side intent on deepening its batting reserves.
“It’s really exciting to have this kind of opportunity,” Orr said. “My mum’s side is Scottish, she was born and grew up in Edinburgh. I know her and the rest of our family will be delighted to see me honour my Scottish heritage, and hopefully I can balance these opportunities with my commitment to Hampshire.”
McKerr, 28, comes with a different back-story. Born in Johannesburg, he carried drinks for South Africa Under-19s at the 2016 World Cup but has spent the past decade bowling fast for Surrey, Derbyshire and now Notts as a local player thanks to his British passport. His Scottish roots lie with his father.
Under current ICC rules, neither man would need to serve a stand-down period to keep the door open for potential England honours later on. It is an unusual but increasingly common scenario for dual-qualified cricketers.
“The squad covers lots of bases in terms of spin and pace options and is certainly one that points towards the future,” Steve Snell, Scotland’s head of performance, said. “We are looking at the A team programme with emphasis on providing opportunity but also performances in terms of future international selection considerations.”
Scotland A squad
Cameron Brown, Lloyd Brown, Finlay Carter, Dan Da Costa, Jamie Dunk, Michael English, Adil Ghaffar, Callum Grant, Jack Hogarth, Ollie Jones, Muhaymen Majeed, Conor McKerr, Liam Naylor, Ali Orr.
Coach: Keegan Russell.
