THE globalisation of women’s cricket is undoubtedly a good thing for the sport but for Scotland it brings both challenges and opportunities.

Whereas the men’s game is still dominated by the traditional powerhouses, it is a more fluid state of affairs with the women. Thailand, for example, have taken a huge leap forward in recent years to become the 11th best team in the world.

Their story gives Scotland hope as they look to make the breakthrough and reach their first major tournament but the qualifying path to the 2023 T20 World Cup could not be more taxing.

This week Mark Coles and his players are in La Manga for the Europe Qualifier where they will duke it out with Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and France.

Should they top the group, then they will move forward to next year’s world Qualifier against representatives from East Asia-Pacific, Africa, Americas and Asia as well as two others from last year’s World Cup, Bangladesh and the Thais. Two teams from that event will then make it through to the World Cup the following year.

It seems a daunting task and Coles – appointed as head coach in the spring - is putting no pressure on Scotland to progress from this week’s event.

The New Zealander continues to place the emphasis on fun and enjoyment – the players ended training last week with some time on a makeshift water slide – and believes advancement for the team listed 13th in the T20 world rankings will come in good time.

“There’s been a lot of learning since I came into the post about where the group is at and what we need to do better if we can,” says the former Pakistan national team head coach.

“The girls are having fun and that’s probably key to it. This group has probably been a bit intense in the past and now it’s about still working hard but also trying to remind them why they took up cricket to start with, which was for the enjoyment of it all.

“I’m a great believer in keeping players relaxed and letting them express their own skills. You get more out of them when there’s a light-hearted element to training I feel.

“The qualifying process is pretty tough with only one country going through. But I just look at it and think there’s not a lot of pressure on our girls.

“The pressure is on Ireland and I’ve seen their coach say as much. They’re from a full Test-playing nation so there’s an expectation there.

“We’re just going to give it our best shot and see where it takes us. France are unknowns at this level and I don’t know loads about Germany but that’s often the way you want to approach it.

“You don’t worry too much about the opposition and just go and play some cricket. We just have to focus on our game and what we’re doing.

“Thailand is a fantastic example of a team who just enjoy the experience for what it is, whether they win or lose. And I want our girls to appreciate that they’re playing for Scotland and to make the most of it.”

Coles has been without three of the squad’s leading lights of late but for good reason. Sarah and Kathryn Bryce and Abtaha Maqsood have all been involved in The Hundred, with Sarah Bryce’s Oval Invincibles winning the inaugural event.

The Scotland coach hopes that exposure – the matches were all shown on free-to-view television throughout the UK – will have the trio in good spirits now they are back in the national fold.

“That’s been an invaluable experience for the three girls to be involved in a tournament like that,” added Coles.

“I know they didn’t get to do a lot of batting up the order but just being around players like Shabnim Ismail and other professionals will have helped the girls learn a lot. Hopefully they’ve absorbed a lot of information they’ve been getting which in turn can only be good for Scotland.”

This week’s qualifier was originally meant to take place in Scotland until Covid quarantine restrictions meant a rerouting to Spain.

“It would have been nice for our girls to have played on home soil and for their families and friends to have been able to come to watch,” admits Coles.

“But that’s just the way it is right now. La Manga is like a second home for many of them anyway so this should suit us just as well.

“If they start believing in their skills then I’m sure they’ll have a strong tournament and we’ll see where it kes us.”