Cricket Scotland Cite ‘Budget’ For Parting Ways With Men’s Head Coach | Cricket News

Last Updated:September 07, 2025, 20:06 IST

Cricket Scotland parts ways with Doug Watson and cite ‘budget allocation’ as one of the reasons.

Doug Watson served as Scotland’s head coach since 2023.

(PC: Cricket Scotland)

Cricket Scotland has let go of men’s head coach Doug Watson, citing a performance review and ‘budget allocation’.

Watson was appointed to the role permanently early last year, after serving on an interim basis since March 2023. In the South African former cricketer’s tenure, Scotland secured some memorable wins over full-member nations and won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier in July 2023, while narrowly missing out on the Super-Eights at the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.

However, the team recently missed out on the 2026 T20 World Cup after an unexpected defeat to lower-ranked Jersey in the final match of the Europe Qualifiers. That means the men’s team doesn’t have any matches scheduled until March next year, as full-member nations rarely support or play against associate teams.

“I’d like to thank Doug for all his efforts with the team during his time in charge,” the board’s Head of Performance Steve Snell said. “He is well-liked by the players, has made a positive impact in many areas and has enjoyed some memorable moments with the squad during his time as Head Coach. With no fixtures until March 2026 and with Doug being based overseas, it is the right time to ensure that our coaching provision reflects what the needs of the squad and the organisation will be in the coming year and beyond. We wish Doug all the best for his next steps, and we are thankful for his contributions to Scottish cricket.”

Chief Executive Trudy Lindblade also said that in their planning for 2026, a change was deemed ‘necessary’.

Watson said he was disappointed but wished the team well.

“While I’m disappointed to be moving on, I’ll take with me many fond memories of my time with the organisation,” he said. “It has been a pleasure to work with this squad and coaching staff, and I’m proud to leave with the team top of the ICC CWCL2 qualifying table, but I am now looking forward to spending more time with my family. I’m honoured to have worked with Cricket Scotland, and I will follow their future progress closely. I wish everyone involved every success moving forward,” he added.

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