The ICC have appointed former Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore will help Afghanistan, Ireland, Scotland and UAE prepare for cricket's marquee 50-over event, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
England's international season kicks off against Scotland in Aberdeen on Friday, following a six week break in the wake of their World Twenty20 disaster, and all eyes will be on the 'new era' outfit and their coach.
Seamer Alasdair Evans and all-rounder Josh Davey have been named in Scotland's squad for next week's one-off ODI against England at Mannofield Park in Aberdeen.
The International Cricket Council have approved a new Test challenge, which will occur every four years, and afford the lowest-ranked Test team and the winner of the Intercontinental Cup to play each other.
A resounding all-round performance from the veteran Steve Tikolo saw Kenya orchestrate an upset 92-run victory over Scotland in Tuesday's World Twenty20 Qualifier fixture at the ICC Academy in Dubai.
Are Ireland the biggest of the small fries? Can Scotland return to the top of the table? Do the Dutch have the ability to go all the way? Ryan Bailey's preview has the answers.
Just 21 overs were bowled on the second day of the Intercontinental Cup clash between Ireland and Scotland in Dublin, as the umpires were forced to call a premature halt to proceedings.
Ireland once again underlined their status as the dominant force in the associate nation game as four wickets from debutant Craig Young put Phil Simmons' weakened side in complete control of their final Intercontinental Cup match against Scotland in Clontarf.
If Ireland are to achieve their coveted goal of Test status in the near future then they must now underline their ability to dominate with the red ball on top of their limited-overs supremacy.
Ireland made light work of their second World Cricket League ODI against Scotland in Belfast on Sunday, winning by seven wickets thanks to Niall O'Brien's unbeaten half century.
Scotland came within one ball of keeping their World Cup automatic qualification hopes alive, but Ireland pulled a rabbit out of the hat to win by one wicket, with one ball to spare, in Belfast on Friday.
Scotland will get the opportunity to bounce back from their comprehensive and humiliating defeat to Australia when they face Ireland in their final set of ICC World Cricket League fixtures.
Captain Preston Mommsen lamented a lack of consistency, as Scotland slipped to a 200-run loss at the hands of Australia in Tuesday's one-off ODI at the Grange Cricket Club Ground in Raeburn Place, Edinburgh.
Big centuries from openers Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh and seamer Mitchell Johnson's telling four-wicket haul afforded Australia a hefty 200-run victory over Scotland in Tuesday's one-off ODI at the Grange Cricket Club Ground in Raeburn Place, Edinburgh.
Scotland head coach Pete Steindl insists he does not fear another painful defeat from Australia because it is the only way his players will learn where they are going wrong.
Pakistan's quest for sufficient preparation ahead of their Champions Trophy campaign was hampered on Sunday, when the second and final ODI against Scotland at the Grange Cricket Club Ground in Raeburn Place, Edinburgh was washed out without a ball bowled.
While Scotland's did a good job to restrict Pakistan to a modest total on Friday, the superior-ranked side had no problem securing a 96-run win thanks to a powerful bowling attack and a half ton from skipper Misbah-ul-Haq.
Isolated ODIs between international big guns and associate small fries are not a common occurrence, but with the Champions Trophy looming, the deprived Scottish were happy to oblige the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Afghanistan secured a 27-run win - and one-nil lead in their two-match series against Scotland - in Sunday's first Twenty20 International at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Scotland followed up their 15-run win over the Netherlands in the first ODI with a five-wicket victory via the Duckworth/Lewis over the same opponents on Wednesday.
