HOWZAT!
I worked as an Amazon delivery driver to get myself out of the house – now I’m out to KO England’s World Cup dream
His team-mates have also given their thoughts ahead of the match
FORMER Amazon driver Chris Greaves has vowed to deliver a Scotland victory over England in their opening match in the T20 World Cup.
The all-rounder, who dropped off packages for a living up until three years ago, believes he can deliver with bat and ball on the big stage against the Auld Enemy.
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Greaves stopped working for Amazon to concentrate on his cricket after he put in a man of the match performance for Scotland in their win over Bangladesh at the 2021 T20 World Cup.
“Covid knocked us all back and working for Amazon as a delivery driver was more for me to stay proactive and get me out of the flat,’’ said the Scotland cricketer.
“I look back at where I have come from and the hurdles I have overcome and now find myself at the highest level taking on England in the World Cup and it is all part of my journey.”
The 33-year-old said that there was no sense of his team having an inferiority complex against one of the favourites for the T20 World Cup.
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“England have a bag full of tricks so it is about keeping it simple for us and playing to our strengths,’’ he said.
“In any sport that is Scotland against England there will be hype and excitement surrounding the fixture but we have stayed grounded and switched on. Some people will call it an upset if we win but we know we have beaten them before back in 2018 and the nice thing is we say to each other, ‘why can’t we do it again?’ This is a great opportunity for us.
“On a personal level this is my first time playing cricket in the Caribbean and that adds to the sense of occasion. There is something special about playing cricket in the Caribbean and the first thing you hear is the music and the vibe, the noise in the streets. They are passionate about the game and having the T20 World Cup here and facing England first up adds a bit of spice to the tournament.”
Greaves team-mate Brad Currie, who was born in Poole in Dorset, said he still gets a bit of stick from his English pals for choosing to play for Scotland but nothing would give him more pleasure than putting one over on the land of his birth.
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“I always liked the underdog story with Scotland and growing up I was always holidaying in Scotland to see my papa and gran, and my cousins,’’ said Currie, who qualifies through his Scots born dad.
“Every time we went up I always thought it was a cool place and the people were quite funny and I loved it. I still get a bit of stick for playing for Scotland and people are always going to wind me up but this is a crazy opportunity. I know Jofra Archer from Sussex and it will be pretty surreal going up against him. Hopefully I don’t have to face him.
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“This is a massive game for Scotland as a whole and for all of us individually as well. We can make a massive statement by really showing what we are made of, especially in this format. Someone can go out and blast a hundred, take a few wickets in the powerplay or be a hero in the last over. It’s exciting that out of the guys that get the nod for the first game we’ve hopefully got a match winner in there.”
Currie, 25, said even being part of the Scotland squad at the T20 World Cup was already the highlight of his career.
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“I was speaking about this with my brother who unfortunately isn’t out here with me about how it a a dream for me to be at a World Cup,’’ he said.
“We were reminiscing about the times we had out in the back garden when we used to make too much noise and would hit the ball into the neighbours’ garden. Our parents would shout through the window, ‘it’s not the World Cup’ and tell us to calm down. Now I can turn around and say, ‘well, it IS the World Cup now’.
“It’s pretty surreal to be out here after growing up watching these tournaments. I heard an advert for this tournament on Spotify the other day and it was weird thinking it was for an event that I’m hopefully going to be playing in. It’s pretty crazy. I’m not one of the big stars of the tournament but I’m here and hopefully can have a big impact.
“We can use the underdog card and say there’s not too much expectation on us and enjoy it. That’s the mindset I’m trying to take although some of the guys will be different. I just want to rise to the challenge but enjoy it at the same time. I don’t want to see it as a big nerve-wracking event.”
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Scotland coach Doug Watson said he had been delighted with the level of support his team has had from back home and from fans who had travelled to the Caribbean to cheer them on.
“We know the whole country is behind us and what an opportunity this is to play against England in the World Cup,’’ he said. “Picking my team is tough as they all want to play against England.’’
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