Cricket Scotland have named New Zealander Mark Coles as the new Head Coach of the Scotland Women’s (Wildcats) Cricket Team.
Women’s game in Scotland is poised for major developments, both at international and domestic level. With T20 World Cup European qualifiers, Commonwealth Games qualifiers and ECB women’s county championships set to test their mettle, Mark Coles will not have much time on his hands to get the squad prepared for the challenges ahead.
During a two-year tenure as Head Coach of the Pakistan women’s team Coles oversaw a period of substantial improvement for the side, with Pakistan moving up to fifth in the ICC Women’s Championship table, on the brink of qualifying for the 2021 Women’s Cricket World Cup. A further period as High-Performance Manager Cricket Japan was brought to a premature end by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mark Coles said in the press release “I am very humbled to be given the opportunity to work with such a talented group and I am extremely excited about what we can achieve. Scotland is a wonderful sporting nation with a rich sporting history. I have no doubt that when we play, we will be playing with the pride, passion, and bravery that the Scottish people are known for around the world.”
Coles will be working with Scottish talents like the Bryce sisters (Sarah and ICC Associate player of the Decade winner Kathryn) and others in the squad. Scotland trio of Sarah Bryce, Kathryn Bryce and Abtaha Maqsood will also be playing in the inaugural edition of “The Hundred” in 2021 and Coles will be delighted to have them gain the experience and exposure, that will bode well for the national squad in the international tournaments in 2021 and beyond.
