This is a moment in time for Scottish cricket.
A chance to capture lightning in a bottle.
I love to see another sport hit the headlines in Scotland; for athletes who can perhaps be overlooked to get the attention they deserve.
So it was fantastic to watch Scotland progress to the Super 12 round of the T20 World Cup for the first time — history achieved.
Earning the opportunity to test themselves against the best teams around is a wonderful achievement.
But while the hard work is being done in Oman, it can have an impact 5,000 miles away in Scotland.
We haven’t generally been known as a cricket nation but success can change that.
By beating Bangladesh earlier this week, those guys proved they could compete and beat one of the more fancied nations at the tournament — and who knows what they can achieve next?
Building blocks
So, the sport of cricket must take advantage.
Who knows when this will happen again?
This must be a platform to showcase future internationals and events — build on the attention and get as many eyeballs on the sport as possible.
It is a wonderful opportunity to get more people inspired and involved. That is how you progress a sport and reach the next level.
I often get asked how you go about growing a sport and, as an athlete, all you can do is try to be successful.
There is no better way to get recognition, publicity and everything that comes with that.
There are so many opportunities out there for successful teams.
In curling, it’s amazing when you go over to Canada and play against teams and you think: ‘they are covered in sponsors!’
They are being paid big bucks because they are seen to be successful. Success sells!
How much it means 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XFxehC85XM
— Cricket Scotland (@CricketScotland) October 21, 2021
They are on TV and showcasing those sponsors to the world.
That is a big part of it: every time they play and win, that could be an opportunity to capture the attention of media, TV and sponsors.
Hopefully, that can happen for Cricket Scotland following their heroics in the Middle-East and this can be a watershed competition.
‘Normality’ returns to curling — but loss of Perth Masters hits hard
Curling is edging towards a sense of normality now that we are travelling around Europe. The events themselves are a little more like they used to be, too.
It’s exciting, and a relief, to have come this far.
However, one disappointment came last week when we found out that the Perth Masters, an event that has been held in Scotland for many years, has been cancelled for January 2022 due to the ongoing issues surrounding Covid.
The ice rink at Dewars Centre being a vaccine centre has a lot to do with it.
It’s a real shame that the one event in Scotland on the European tour can’t go ahead.
There was an event at the Stirling National Curling Academy a few months back — the first one of the new curling season — but unfortunately there were no spectators.
Although it is a wonderful facility, it is effectively a training facility.
So, it would have been brilliant to perform in front of friends and family at the Perth Masters; a really well known event throughout the world.
Athletes from Canada, Japan, South Korea — all over the world — love coming to that competition.
Fingers crossed that in the following year they will be able to host the event in the manner they always do — and get the best in the world back in Perth again.
