Qualifying for T20 World Cup was incredible: Megan McColl

When we talk about Scotland’s recent success in women’s cricket, Megan McColl is one of the players who has contributed significantly. She has experienced both the highs and lows in recent years as a Scottish cricketer. There were heartbreaks in the past, but this year, she helped Scotland achieve what they had never done before. 

McColl made her international debut in June 2019, and this could very well be a breakthrough year for the 23-year-old. She played a crucial innings with the bat in Scotland’s famous win over Ireland in the T20 World Cup qualifiers, which guaranteed the team’s place in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 for the first time. 

Ahead of the ninth edition of the tournament, McColl spoke to Women’s CricZone, sharing about the beginning of her journey, qualify for the T20 World Cup, the influence of The Bryce sisters and more.

Q: How was your experience in the T20 World Cup Qualifiers? 

It was a good experience for everyone. It obviously didn’t start off how I would’ve personally wanted to. I didn’t play for the first two-three games. But at the end of the day, I was happy to be the part of the squad. And we had a really good start as a squad and I knew that I was feeling good. I thought “If I get the opportunity, I just need to take it when it comes.” And then I eventually got added into the playing XI. I opened the batting, which was a new experience for me. I had never done it before for Scotland, let alone in any other team. So I think it was a really exciting experience at that time at one of the biggest events. The first two games against USA and Thailand didn’t go well for me. But in the semifinal against Ireland, everything clicked at the right time. I was really happy to be able to put in such a good performance in an important game which allowed us as a team to get to where we are. And I think I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the rest of the team around. We really backed each other and that just showed throughout the whole tournament for us all. 

Q: Speaking of the Ireland game, you defeated them in the semifinals and qualified for the T20 World Cup. How was the feeling of qualifying for the T20 World Cup for the first time? 

I think there were probably not too many words lacking at that time. This was an unbelievable achievement and we had wanted it for so long. We have fallen short so many times, but this time it just felt so different. When we went to the qualifiers, we just felt that it was a feeling we didn’t really talk about. But we could feel that we were in a much better place, and I think this was the year that we could do it. The excitement and belief were there during the game. And after the game, it was just incredible. For lots of people in the team, it was one of the best moments of their life to be able to play in the T20 World Cup. I think there is no word to describe the feeling. It was just amazing and it is something you’ll never forget qualifying for your first T20 World Cup. 

Q: Can you talk about the impact domestic cricket has on the growth of women’s cricket and how it has also helped Scotland?

I think domestic cricket for the women’s side of the game still has a long way to go and is still growing. The women’s club cricket was set up around four years ago, and that has allowed a few of us to play cricket more regularly. Having original super series in the past few years has allowed us to play against the best players that are involved in Scottish cricket. So, we get everyone back up that plays in them that plays for the national team. We have the best U-19 teams that play alongside us, and that just allows us to play at the highest level within Scotland that we possibly can. That has probably really helped us and allowed us to play in fixtures where we play against some of the counties in England. I think it’s been a really big thing for us as well. It allows us to get exposed to different pitches and play against a range of players at very different levels. It also allows us to play cricket together, which I think is the hardest thing for us as a team. So, the super series in Scotland are really important for us because they allow us to play more cricket together in the summer.

Q: Can you talk about the influence of The Bryce sisters on the Scotland team?

For a long time, Sarah and Kathryn have had a really big impact on this team. Both on and off the pitch, they bring in a lot. Kathryn is a really good leader and she leads by example. I think for the team, it is really good to see her perform, also in franchises in India (in WPL) and The Hundred in England. I think those opportunities are amazing for her and it allows us to see that we can get there too. She’s also showing the world what Scottish cricket can do, which I think is really cool. Sarah is equally the same. The opportunities that she gets playing in franchises and just the experience they both bring playing professional cricket in England as well, we can take all the examples that they set. 

Q: Going back, can you take us through your cricketing journey and how it all began?

My cricket journey started when I was about eight. I started playing cricket and softball with some of the boys at a local club. I got into it through my primary school. One of the pros at our club came into the school and got us playing during break time. I played with the boys for a while and then I eventually moved out to Perth for a few years where I started playing more hardball cricket with girls. I started taking my cricket a bit more seriously when I was out there. And then I came back to Scotland when I was 13 and I started playing hardball cricket with the boys. I still play men’s cricket to this day at a different club. But back then I was 15 and I got into the Scotland U-17. That’s when I was in the Scotland set up and from there I graduated into the women’s team in 2018. Since then, I’ve been in the Scotland squad. So, yeah, that’s kind of how and where I am today.

Q: And what's next for you? What are your future goals and aspirations?

I just want to enjoy the T20 World Cup that’s coming up with the team. We have a really good and exciting team, and we have so much fun together when we play. I think I’m just really excited to get to experience that on the T20 World Cup stage and show the world what we can do and what we are capable of. I am also excited to see how far we can go as a team. Our goals are probably to keep continuing to qualify for World Cups and other global events, and I think the more we do that, the more we get to play against better cricketing nations. The more we do that, the better we will become. I think it’s just an exciting time for us as a Scottish team, and it’s just the start for us.