ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: All you need to know about Calum MacLeod, Scotland’s Talisman

Scotland’s Calum Macleod is renowned for playing a match-winning knock in his country’s previous famous full-member scalp against England. Macleod struck an unbeaten 140 when Scotland historically defeated the three lions in a one-off ODI played in Edinburgh in 2018. In a rare opportunity for Scotland to make a statement against the ICC establishment and […]
 
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ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: All you need to know about Calum MacLeod, Scotland’s Talisman

Scotland’s Calum Macleod is renowned for playing a match-winning knock in his country’s previous famous full-member scalp against England. Macleod struck an unbeaten 140 when Scotland historically defeated the three lions in a one-off ODI played in Edinburgh in 2018.

In a rare opportunity for Scotland to make a statement against the ICC establishment and their controversial setting up of a 10-team ODI World Cup in 2019, Mcleod led his team’s quest from the front and played a memorable innings in a high-scoring encounter.

The batter arguably played an even better knock during the global qualifiers for the World Cup in Zimbabwe that year, scoring an unbeaten 157 against an Afghanistan attack including a red hot Rashid Khan. Macleod showed the way when almost everyone else in the world was struggling to pick Rashid’s legbreak and googlies.

Also Read: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: Scotland Team Preview, Squad, Key Players And Probable Playing XI

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: All you need to know about Calum MacLeod, Scotland’s Talisman

Calum Macleod is an integral part of Scotland’s ODI and T20I outfits.

Age: 32

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: All you need to know about Calum MacLeod, Scotland’s Talisman

Role: Top/Middle-order Batter

Batting style: Right-hand bat

Bowling Style: Right-arm off-break

Calum MacLeod’s T20I career so far

Making his debut back in 2009, Calum MacLeod has played 53 T20Is in the Scotland jersey so far. The 32-year-old experienced batter has struck 1,114 runs from his 51 innings at an average of 26.52 and strike-rate of 114.02. His tally includes seven half-centuries.

As a bowler, he has occasionally chipped in with useful overs of part-time spin bowling, filling in economically for other bowlers on the day. Macleod has taken 14 wickets and has a T20I economy rate of 7.20.

MacLeod’s Highest T20I score: 74 versus Bermuda in Dubai, 2019

MacLeod’s Best bowling figures: 2/17 versus Kenya in Aberdeen, 2013

Why is Calum MacLeod important to Scotland’s fortunes in the T20 World Cup?

MacLeod may not have had his best returns in T20Is but he is still expected to play a crucial role in the middle-order for Scotland, whose resolve and depth with the bat is likely to be tested by spin during the preliminary stage.

Placed in Group B of the initial round, Scotland will be taking on Bangladesh and co-hosts Oman among their three group rivals. Macleod’s ability to counter the spinners with his effective use of the sweeps and reverse sweeps makes him a vital player for his team.

Since the previous edition of the T20 World Cup, the batter has struck 742 runs in 29 T20Is for his country with an average of 35.33 and strike-rate of 120.84, including four half-centuries.