Peter Steindl signs contract extension – Cricket News Update
Peter Steindl, Scotland’s Head Coach, has agreed to sign a three-year contract extension with the national side. The Australian-born coach has been in charge since 2008, and as a result of this new agreement, is expected to stay on at least till December
2014.
"I am delighted to be given the opportunity to continue working with the Scotland team," Steindl said. "I have enjoyed the challenges this position has brought and I am committed to working hard to build upon the improvements we have made over the last two
years.”
Scotland played their last major tournament in 2009, which was at the World Twenty20, where they were not able to move beyond the group stages, losing to New Zealand and South Africa. Following the retirement of several senior players, Steindl has worked
to rebuild the team, introducing younger players into the squad.
The current Scottish side has won 9 of their recent 13 ODI matches, all of which have been played against Associate nations. They were the runners up in both the World Cricket League Division 1 and the Intercontinental Cup.
The 41-year old will now be focusing his energies on guiding the national side back to a major tournament, and Scotland has a busy schedule in the upcoming months as they depart for a 7-week tour. They will be facing off against the UAE team in the Intercontinental
Cup match before locking horns in two World Cricket League matches, all of which will take place in Sharjah. In addition, the team will also undergo training in Sri Lanka.
Steindl’s squad will also be playing in the World Twenty20 qualifying tournament which takes place in the UAE this March, and the tournament features 16 teams. If the Scots can fight their way through the competition, they will earn a spot at the World Twenty20
in September later this year.
Cricket Scotland is convinced that Steindl has what it takes to guide the team to victory in the upcoming challenges. "Continuity is vital as we look to progress with a young side that Peter has developed into a cohesive and competitive unit," said Roddy
Smith, CS chief executive. "He has formed an excellent management team with captain Gordon Drummond and we all look forward to working together in the next few important years.”