Ali Orr, Conor McKerr earn Scotland A call-ups for Jersey tour

Scotland has asked Hampshire opener Ali Orr and Nottinghamshire fast bowler Conor McKerr to play in an A-team series against Jersey next month. When Orr was a young player at Sussex, he was widely regarded as one of the best young batters in England. His progress has stalled somewhat since he broke his arm during his first season with Hampshire, but his involvement is a boost for Scotland as they look to build their squad depth. Orr stated, "It's really exciting to have this kind of opportunity." "My mother is Scottish; she was born in Edinburgh and grew up there. I hope I can balance these opportunities with my commitment to Hampshire, and I know she and the rest of our family will be delighted to see me honor my Scottish heritage." McKerr, 28, has been playing county cricket as a local for a decade thanks to his British passport, despite not making the South African team for the Under-19s World Cup in 2016. His father's side of the family has Scottish ancestry. According to Cricket Scotland, the final roster is "subject to confirmation of availability of players currently contracted to English counties." If Orr is selected for Hampshire's County Championship match against Somerset, he may not be available. Both players will remain available for England selection, even if they go on to play for Scotland's national team in future, with no 'stand out period' required between an appearance for an associate member and a full member per in the ICC's regulations. Scotland's head of performance, Steve Snell, stated, "The squad covers lots of bases in terms of spin and pace options and is certainly one that points to the future." "We are looking at the A team programme with emphasis on providing opportunity but also performances in terms of future international selection considerations." Over the weekend of April 18 and 19, Scotland A will take on Jersey's national team in four Twenty20 matches, all of which will be played at the Grainville Cricket Ground. Scotland A squad: Cameron Brown, Lloyd Brown, Finlay Carter, Dan Da Costa, Jamie Dunk, Michael English, Adil Ghaffar, Callum Grant, Jack Hogarth, Ollie Jones, Muhaymen Majeed, Conor McKerr, Liam Naylor, Ali Orr. Coach: Keegan Russell.