Felt very relaxed, no pressure: Charlie Cassell after record spell

Scotland pace bowler Charlie Cassell picked 7/21 against Oman to record the best figures by a bowler on One-day International debut.

The right-arm pacer Cassell’s spell helped the host dismiss the Gulf nation for just 91 in an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 game in Dundee.

He trapped former Oman captain Zeeshan Maqsood leg before off his very first ball in international cricket.

“His second delivery breached the defences of Ayaan Khan, making it the first-ever instance of a bowler having picked up wickets off his first two balls in ODI cricket on debut. Two balls later, Cassell dismissed Khalid Kail,” said a report from International Cricket Council (ICC).

“Cassell’s sensational debut continued yielding wickets and he had a five-wicket haul with the dismissal of Mehran Khan in the 18th over. With this, he joined an exclusive list of 15 players, who had picked a five-for on Men’s ODI debut,” added the ICC.

But it got even better when Cassell ran through the Oman tail to finish with 7/21, the best-ever bowling figures by an ODI bowler on international debut.

Scotland chased the target in 17.2 overs, losing just two wickets.

Cassell was, as expected, named Player of the Match. He bettered the debut record of 6/16 by South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada against Bangladesh in 2015.

“It is a bit surreal, yet to sink in. You wake up and you hope to get one or two, but you get seven in a day,” said Cassell after the match.

“Actually, I wasn’t too nervous because I’ve been with these boys a bit now. It wasn’t feeling too weird and too under pressure. The boys, and captain Richie [Berrington] wanted us to enjoy the game much. So I felt very relaxed out there and ready to hit on the right spot,” added Cassell in an interview with Cricket Scotland.

“You just want to hit the right spot, every time. Sometimes you hit them, sometimes you don’t. Today wasn’t one of those days where you hit the right spot and it goes for four.

“I got a call-up on Saturday, and it has been whirlwind. I haven’t had the time to process it. It was really special to do this on the home ground, with the groundstaff you know. Can’t ask for a better place to do it.”

Charlie Cassell, ODI record, Scotland Cricket, Oman