<p>Scotland arrive at what will be their third World Cup desperate for a maiden tournament victory after eight defeats combined at the 1999 and 2007 editions.<br /><br /></p>.<p>For a non-Test nation, the Scots’ World Cup record may not seem that surprising but the fact they bowed out of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean with a crushing eight-wicket defeat by fellow associate country the Netherlands tells its own story.<br /><br />For many years Scotland were regarded as one of the premier non-Test nations, supplying an England captain in the late Mike Denness during the 1970s and county stalwarts such as Essex's Brian Hardie.<br /><br />However, recently they've had to look on enviously as Ireland, the Netherlands and Afghanistan have all shone on the world stage, with Bangladesh making the transition from associate to Test status.<br /><br />“We've underachieved over the last five to ten years,” Scotland all-rounder Calum MacLeod told the CricInfo website. “We need to beat some Full Members (Test nations).”<br /><br />Scotland's squad for the World Cup features seasoned Northamptonshire batsman Kyle Coetzer while a change in qualification regulations, which allows British passport holders with Scottish parentage to play for them, has paved the way for the likes of Leicestershire all-rounder Rob Taylor, Sussex’s Matt Machan and Yorkshire seamer Iain Wardlaw to be included.<br /><br />The backroom staff is even more cosmopolitan with head coach Grant Bradburn, a former New Zealand Test cricketer, assisted by ex-England all-rounder Paul Collingwood.<br /><br />Both Bradburn and Collingwood will be looking to defeat their native countries, with New Zealand, the tournament co-hosts, and England the Scots' opening two pool opponents. <br /><br />Collingwood, still playing county cricket for Durham, has forged a reputation as a tough, competitive professional and has been helping Scotland with the mental side of their game in particular.<br /><br />But there is only so much coaches can do and the way Scotland suffered an eight-wicket defeat by Afghanistan in the recent associate warm-up series in the UAE would have been a concern.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Scotland arrive at what will be their third World Cup desperate for a maiden tournament victory after eight defeats combined at the 1999 and 2007 editions.<br /><br /></p>.<p>For a non-Test nation, the Scots’ World Cup record may not seem that surprising but the fact they bowed out of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean with a crushing eight-wicket defeat by fellow associate country the Netherlands tells its own story.<br /><br />For many years Scotland were regarded as one of the premier non-Test nations, supplying an England captain in the late Mike Denness during the 1970s and county stalwarts such as Essex's Brian Hardie.<br /><br />However, recently they've had to look on enviously as Ireland, the Netherlands and Afghanistan have all shone on the world stage, with Bangladesh making the transition from associate to Test status.<br /><br />“We've underachieved over the last five to ten years,” Scotland all-rounder Calum MacLeod told the CricInfo website. “We need to beat some Full Members (Test nations).”<br /><br />Scotland's squad for the World Cup features seasoned Northamptonshire batsman Kyle Coetzer while a change in qualification regulations, which allows British passport holders with Scottish parentage to play for them, has paved the way for the likes of Leicestershire all-rounder Rob Taylor, Sussex’s Matt Machan and Yorkshire seamer Iain Wardlaw to be included.<br /><br />The backroom staff is even more cosmopolitan with head coach Grant Bradburn, a former New Zealand Test cricketer, assisted by ex-England all-rounder Paul Collingwood.<br /><br />Both Bradburn and Collingwood will be looking to defeat their native countries, with New Zealand, the tournament co-hosts, and England the Scots' opening two pool opponents. <br /><br />Collingwood, still playing county cricket for Durham, has forged a reputation as a tough, competitive professional and has been helping Scotland with the mental side of their game in particular.<br /><br />But there is only so much coaches can do and the way Scotland suffered an eight-wicket defeat by Afghanistan in the recent associate warm-up series in the UAE would have been a concern.<br /><br /></p>