Cricket World Cup: Which team will your shirt be on? A nation by nation guide to the Cricket World Cup - Scotland

VERDICT: Qualification was astonishing. Ireland were firm favourites to take the third place available to associate members in the ICC Trophy but Scotland's calm performance took them through. There is nothing here for them but the faint prospect of embarrassing one of the big boys. Although their record against the counties in the domestic one-day competitions, the B&H Cup and the NatWest Trophy, is abysmal (three wins in 86 matches) this is eminently possible, if for only one reason (see below). However, their big match comes on 24 May against Bangladesh and in Edinburgh they will be favourites.

EMERGING HERO: Not to say an unlikely one. Gavin Hamilton, born in Broxburn but educated down south, has made no secret of his desire to play for England. That is not lack of patriotism but merely thinking of his professional future. He agreed to play for the land of his birth only after he failed to make the England squad and was assured it would not affect his Test prospects. He is rapidly approaching maturity as a seam bowling all-rounder with Yorkshire and this is a stage on which he is well set to advance.

ACHILLES' HEEL: Lack of self-belief. They booked a plane home from the ICC qualifying tournament in Malaysia days before it was due to finish.

HISTORIC POINT: In Scotland's first one-day clash with Australia in July, 1882 they won, scoring 167 and bowling out the opposition for 122.

SILLY POINT: Scotland can lay claim to producing a cricketer who might have been the equal of Don Bradman. Archie Jackson was only 19 when he made his debut for Australia and made a glittering century. A glorious future beckoned but three years later he was dead of tuberclosis. Archie Jackson was born in Rutherglen, Lanarkshire.

RECORD: First appearance.

SQUAD: G Salmond (capt), M J de G Allingham, J A R Blain, J E Brinkley, Asim Butt, A G Davies, N R Dyer, G M Hamilton, B M W Patterson, I L Philip, K L P Sheridan, M J Smith, I M Stanger, P D Steindl, J G Williamson.

ODDS: 500-1.