If Iain Kennedy, Pete Steindl and Andy Tennant had not got the message across before now, its impact will be visible in the faces of four known Scotland internationals next time you see them.

The selectors have bared their teeth, and the Saltires' 2010 campaign will be more interesting as a result.

Fraser Watts, Qasim Sheikh, Simon Smith and Jan Stander will have inked three key dates in May in their diaries this spring. They probably didn't expect to spend those days with clubmates, friends or family, without a Clydesdale Bank 40 logo in sight.

None of the four was named on Wednesday in the most innovative Saltires selection since the nickname was created in 2003.

Why is this surprising? Because Watts was named one of two vice–captains last summer and delivered a victory over Kent; because Sheikh and Smith are on summer contracts; because Stander had hitherto been treated as a godsend, as a bowler who can bat at six. The revolving door will spin for as long as it takes for Scotland to get back where they should be.

In come Freddie Coleman (for Watts), Omer Hussain (for Sheikh), Neil Laidlaw (for Stander) and Marc Petrie (for Smith). Barely 80 years between them, and just four innings against county professionals (Hussain is responsible for all four, and his first resulted in a half–century at The Oval before reality set in).

There is no shame in admitting that Kennedy's panel have pulled the rug from under us. We fully expected Carlton signing Preston Mommsen, newly qualified after moving from South Africa in his last year of school, to be parachuted straight in and Coleman's inclusion is therefore a pleasing coup for development staff.

The 18–year–old opener is the first Penicuik product to join the senior ranks since John Blain and has been tipped for stardom since scoring 125 not out in the first match of a Scotland under–15 tour of South Africa three years ago. How he plays the short ball will soon determine whether he is ready for this elevation – look how quickly Afghanistan's weakness was rumbled this week.

Geography and modern newspaper economics – it's a long story – prevent me from knowing anything at all about Laidlaw, but I have always imagined that the regional leagues of England must be peppered with players born in Scotland, and the York all–rounder has timed his discovery – by none other than Jim Love – very well. A four–pronged seam attack has effectively vanished since the World Cup Qualifier 13 months ago.

For all the unknowns contained in those two selections, Hussain's recall is no less of a punt. There are only so many times a player can be hailed as the panacea for our perennial problems with middle–order inertia, and Hussain has been rejected as many times than he has been identified for greatness.

Should we be weary and cynical about the return of the Ferguslie powerhouse? Well, perhaps the difference is the cricketer now being bestowed with trust is a 25–year–old grown man with a career in engineering. And if he finds his feet at last, the destructive left–hander might never look back.

Petrie's promotion above Smith is encouraging and demoralising, if that's possible. The demotion of the contracted 'Smudger', a man impossible to dislike, will not be greeted anywhere with pleasure but it has been coming. His glovework at the World Twenty20 Qualifiers was scratchy and unless he can turn into Matt Prior overnight, keeping the wicket clean will be his fundamental mandate for selection.

Petrie, a 20–year–old from the fertile grounds of Arbroath United, worked tidily against Australia and now gets some prolonged on–the–job training. The only worry is the lack of a wicket–keeping mentor in the coaching team to talk him through the ups and downs.

As for the fallen, the chairman of selectors has a clear message. "Fraser is fully fit," said Kennedy, who was capped six times in the early 1980s. "Qasim Sheikh we feel is a little bit underdone after his wedding and honeymoon – he is not quite there at the moment and hopefully he will get back there very quickly.

"Simon is another one who is maybe not performing as we would like at the moment. Marc Petrie has had a very good start to the year and he is in because of his own form more than because of Simon's.

"Whether you have a contract or not doesn't make an awful lot of difference," he added, forcefully. "We have the opportunity to contract players so we do, but it doesn't put people ahead of anybody else.

"We are trying to get to the stage in one–day games where we have more hard–hitting batsmen at the top of the order. Omer was identified a number of years ago as someone like that and he hasn't really lived up to it. Now he is going to get the chance to."

We have seen bold selections before, and David Loudon's last as chairman, for the South African debacle last year, blew up in Steindl's face. But one big conservative choice was made this week, too.

Ryan Watson, dropped for the first time in February when he failed to summon the old fire for Twenty20 combat, has retained his place in the Saltires squad after looking good in the regional trials. We can only hope that the old warrior's form, like his class, is not temporary.

An old–fashioned performance from an old–fashioned bowling attack, purred the second string of Sky Sports' punditry team during today's interval at Grace Road.

Here in Dublin an old–fashioned technical oversight brought a premature end to your blogger's attempt to view a magnificent start to the Saltires' CB40 campaign.

Just as Ryan Watson and George Bailey were beginning to build on the excellent use of Powerplay No 1 in the pursuit of 218, Charles Colville announced that we now had a choice of what to watch. Trouble was, you don't have a choice when you don't have a red button.

Long story short: a few brown envolopes that changed hands in the halcyon heyday of the Celtic Tiger meant my apartment block is monopolised by NTL, or whatever they call themselves these days. You need Sky Digital, rather than cable, to have a red button and, therefore, a choice. No dishes and no choice around here, so Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer it was.

Pity that, because this was developing into a gripping spectacle for the few cricket fans whose attention was not solely fixed on the Kensington Oval. Foxes v Saltires never promised to rival England v Australia for spectacle, and the pre–season verdict of Gavin Hamilton rang loud and clear in a satisfyingly pedestrian Leicestershire innings.

"We are very realistic about where we are at the moment in terms of the bowling," the Scotland captain said in our season preview. "We're probably never going to blow away teams and bowl teams out for not a lot, but if we stick to what we're good at, be very disciplined and stick to our game plan, that's really the only avenue we can go down."

Cue the sniffy, reluctant admiration of Messrs Willis, Allott and Colville as the military–medium carriers of the Saltire flame limited Leicestershire's scoring options throughout the 40 overs.\nThis is a genre of performance that has become a Scots–Irish trademark in this era of progress without pace. Except when Boyd Rankin is right on the money, both countries' fielding strategies are based on accuracy and containment, and not aggression, and Neil Laidlaw looks to have quickly grasped this necessity.

The Edinburgh–born newcomer from York looks athletic and slippery with an off–putting action, the kind that wouldn't have survived this far had he come under a professional umbrella. He would be quicker, for example, if his spikes would part with the turf at the crease but these are not times to be picky and Jim Love's intervention, directing his ambition northwards, is very welcome.

Laidlaw's ever–so–slight inswingers were too good today for a few county pros and, once or twice, Marc Petrie. Not that Scotland's cherubic wicketkeeper from Arbroath had a dodgy day. Far from it: his glovework was immaculate in the conventional stance and encouragingly adept when standing up.

Overall, the Saltires were by their own standards excellent in the field, and, on a county scale, okay. Ryan Watson's failure to pocket Greg Smith in Laidlaw's first over felt ominous but he made it up for it with a blinding dive to remove the same player and a direct hit to dispense with James Taylor.

There were other minor glitches – Gordon Goudie got bored of his relentless economy at one point and lost a slower ball for six, then two wides that cost the same sum – and run–out chances went a–begging, but by and large Hamilton's tactical advice was carried out to the letter. Taking pace off the ball, in Jeremy Coney's words, "manacled" the home side after their odd decision to bat first.

It must be said that Leicestershire, the second–worst team in this group on paper and whose scalp the more seasoned men in the squad should have targeted, contributed to their demise. Paul Nixon's eccentric decision to call for the batting powerplay at the 30–over mark, for example, blew up in his face.

Then again, Hamilton reacted intelligently to that development, keeping on his spinners to hang on to control, and it was now we knew for sure that the Saltires were in with a sniff. That conviction never faded for your blogger as he watched Bailey, Berrington and McCallum enact a buccaneering run chase. Not on Sky Sports 4 but via CricketEurope's online commentary – the only channel you can trust.

Pete Steindl has kept us on our toes all season but after all of the experiments, ejections and elevations, he and Gavin Hamilton appear to be left with just one major choice to make ahead of Saturday's England game.

The Scots are unlikely to break up the chalk–and–cheese opening partnership of Gavin Hamilton and Ryan Watson after the newcomers, Josh Davey and Preston Mommsen, failed to state a deafening case on the first day of their novitiates on Wednesday in the Netherlands.

Kyle Coetzer should take his justifiable place at No 3. He might be out of favour with Durham, again, but Coetzer is still good enough to merit faith for reasons more than form.

The five–and–six axis seems locked in, with Richie Berrington in the form of his life and Neil McCallum umibilically attached to the finishing/salvaging duties he has been performing with muscular aplomb for four years now.

With Dougie Lockhart, the Eddie Stobart of Scottish cricket, near–certain to man the stumps and bat at No 7, only one batsman will need selecting – but there are three candidates to line up at No 4.

Omer Hussain was the incumbent and batted there in all five of this year's CB40 games so far, only missing the trip to the Netherlands because he could not get time off work. But this seems to have counted against him now.

He was brought back into the side to provide aggression, and by all accounts he has played primarily with consolidation and wicket preservation on his mind. It's a daunting step up from club cricket, and it will take the Clydesdale left–hander time to work out where he can score his runs at that level.

Will the selectors keep faith in their investment, or enlist a member of the top three from the game at Hazelaarweg, who were all making their ODI debuts? Qasim Sheikh hasn't done enough to demonstrate form, which the selectors insist is the main basis for consideration, so they have to decide whether they fancy Gregor Maiden, Preston Mommsen or Josh Davey above the other two.

It's almost too tight to call between Maiden, the 30–year–old Grange player from Paisley, Mommsen, a naturalised South African who spent his final school year at Gordonstoun, and 19–year–old Middlesex prospect Davey, all of whom contributed to the score without "going big", with Maiden scoring fastest of the trio after coming in at second drop.

Head coach Pete Steindl admitted that their varying assets will make the final choice for Saturday – one of them could even interrupt the established opening partnership – difficult for he and captain Hamilton.

"All three of those players have shown attributes we are looking for over the last two weeks and all add value in a number of different ways," said Steindl. "There are probably a couple of positions up for grabs – one or two within the top four and one depending on how Gordon Goudie pulls up."

If Goudie, who took five wickets in last year's equivalent fixture against Australia, does not play, Matthew Parker will assume his responsibilities and the Scots will have to decide between deploying a second specialist spinner in Ross Lyons or asking Coetzer to contribute at least a share of ten overs.

Mommsen and Maiden also offer auxiliary spin, as does Watson, but Maiden's athletic fielding and knowledge of the ground perhaps bolsters his cause above those of rivals.

Perhaps the most encouraging find of the Dutch trip was Parker, the tall, blond Dundonian 21–year–old who made a debut against Norway two years ago and has been on trial this season at Durham. Not only did the Forfarshire right–armer take wickets in both the four–day and one–day contests, he proved his attacking capabilities with the bat, causing some to question why he did not come in ahead of wicketkeeping No 7 Dougie Lockhart on Wednesday.

Lockhart's pedestrian 31 helped the Scots ensure a competitive total that a full–strength Dutch side chased down with just three balls to spare, but a quicker innings – he didn't register a boundary – might have made the Dutch chase far less comfortable.

This new generation of Scotland players – Richie Berrington has passed 50 five times in eight innings so far this season – are making points of selection increasingly vexing for Steindl, Ian Kennedy and Hamilton. Which is exactly what they wanted.

The ICC's official preview of the World Cricket League landed on our electronic mats yesterday and it would have made pleasing reading for Scotland's cannier fans.

On the surface, the fact that extensive attention was given to youthful promise among the Kenyan and Irish ranks – without a mention of Richie Berrington, or any compatriot – could have had a deflating effect. But Gordon Drummond should feel that he has the watching world exactly where he wants them.

For a decade Scotland travelled to these tussles with associate peers with poly bags tied over their heads, struggling to breathe until the pressure of reputation upkeep could be released. Ryan Watson suffocated himself ahead of driving a creaking vehicle to South Africa early last year, and the team tipped to come second came sixth, one defeat from being sent to international Siberia.

Now Scotland, for all their prowess in the Intercontinental Cup, travel to top–shelf associate gatherings without the governing body giving any thought to dusting down the trophy cabinet, and few opponents fearing them, and that could help enormously.

We are loath to move on, however, without wondering what Berrington has to do this season to win due recognition. Did those three CB40 half–centuries, the runs in Holland and the matchwinning hundred against India A really go unnoticed south of Inverclyde?

Not only have county offers (as far as we know) been conspicuous by their absence so far, the ICC's press team did not seem to realise that the Caledonian No 5 is, albeit suddenly, among the very best players at this level.

Again, perhaps Berrington prefers it that way. His flame has been latent for several seasons now and to promote him as the star man this week and next in the Netherlands might be dangerous (he didn't hang around long enough to demonstrate his textbook array of strokes against England).

Can Drummond continue his remarkable winning run as captain this week? The lack of depth exhibited by Ireland against West Indies' second string last week suggested Trent Johnston's side will have to be content with life among the peloton rather than storming out in front as usual, while the Dutch are always more beatable when their world–class all–rounder – he of the immortal clanger "I'm South African through and through" – is not around.

Canada had a wretched time in Dubai in February, but then so did Scotland and they have long since left any sour tastes – not to mention a few underachieving players – behind them.

Perhaps the key man for Drummond is not Berrington but the good friend who accompanied him to Sydney on the Terry Racionzer scholarship programme the winter before last.

Not since his early days in the Saltire apparel has Ross Lyons been his country's senior spinner, and the selectors' tendency to only place trust in Glenn Rogers or Majid Haq has constantly agitated him.

This week the gregarious leftie from Glasgow's south side gets his chance, the promise of 60 overs to prove he can undermine rival batting ambitions, and if Lyons takes wickets, Scotland's newfound morale can propel them to something resembling a title challenge.

Criticism penetrates even the thickest of skins, and it hurts most when the victim has not seen it coming. Some of the frosty glances darting around the Titwood pavilion steps last weekend suggested that a few Scotland players were unhappy with the severity of reviews of their work against Durham.

Perhaps they realised, given the rout had taken place that day against Warwickshire, that worse was about to follow. But since the dismal World Twenty20 Qualifier in February, nothing but favourable words had been attached to Scotland's performances – and rightly so.

When you volunteer to be exposed to professional combat, however, the next reality check is just around the corner. The two counties invited to Glasgow administered a brutal reminder of the amount of remedial work that remains to be done to repair a shredded reputation, and any gulf in quality should be honestly reflected in reports – just as commendable results and performances are greeted with praise.

Never mind that Durham and Warwickshire are, man for man, better–trained and better–paid than 10 of the 11 Saltires they defeated. My view was that Gordon Goudie and Gordon Drummond can bowl far better than they did on Saturday, and that some of the shots displayed on Sunday painted an unflattering picture of the technical capabilities of the Scots. Some of the cricket was amateurish, and nobody, contracted or otherwise, wants to be associated with that term any more.

I accept that one or two of the adjectives used could be filed under exaggeration. But if a strike bowler reads something he disagrees with and determines to prove it fallacious the next day, hallelujah!

The need to prove wrong an old–school coach, a critical parent or a mere numpty of a journalist cannot be anything other than constructive in a player's development. In any profession, your work is unlikely to improve without critical observations.

The most encouraging aspect of the tension at Titwood was the way the players formed a ring around themselves as they mulled over their Bear–mauling with a cold drink. Morale is truly alive and well within Drummond's squad, and this kind of solidarity will take them a long way.

But far from seeing critical pressmen as an enemy force with a destructive agenda, the players should recognise that we all want the same thing.

Ever since receiving my first cold shoulder from a Scotland international around mid–summer 2003 – the start of the first NCL campaign had gone so well a pleasant social bonhomie had come to exist between the two groups – I have maintained that the players should be subjected to a level of scrutiny equivalent to the spotlight that shines on the top international teams.

Since Drummond replaced Craig Wright as the team's steadying rock, Scotland have come a long way. He has enhanced their four–day cricket, and now the team have begun to restore their limited–overs reputation, the troublesome Twenty20 format excepted.

Gems have been unearthed and shined up, none at a quicker rate than Matty Parker, who has already learned much from his performance against England six weeks ago. Selections have been overwhelmingly positive, too. Ryan Watson might have divined more ways of scoring than Preston Mommsen did against Chris Woakes, but then he might have been out first ball, too. Mommsen will learn much from his struggles.

With the juniors currently reversing several years of Irish rule, there is much to admire about the current state of play in Scottish cricket. The worst thing that could happen now is for anyone involved to become accustomed to good press.

Andy Tennant's call for greater focus on Twenty20 cricket in Scotland is to be applauded. It is also long overdue.

The moment it should have occurred to Cricket Scotland that the 20–over game was the most fertile furrow to plough was not last week when the ICC confirmed that their Chief Executives Committee wants a 10–team World Cup and a bigger World Twenty20.

It was in 2008, when the Indian Premier League was born and bastardised versions seemed to spring up from every corner. Suddenly Australians were taking Twenty20 seriously and we were awash with talk of Champions Leagues and freelance cricketers earning five figures for every six.

The revolution has not subsumed the sport like it threatened to in those dizzying days, but cricket's most economically viable future was already being mapped out along evening, floodlit, high–octane lines. And the inevitably of less powerful nations being encouraged to embrace the short format was painted in stark terms by the ICC.

We must challenge their push in this direction, for it is too extreme a resolution to confine the training of players to bowling slow bouncers and yorkers and teaching batsmen to long–handle length balls over cow corner. The Intercontinental Cup is under threat, and I wouldn't mourn its demise. It has no place in preparing a Scottish team to make an impact on world cricket as it stands today.

Test matches are permanently out of bounds, and all the four–day round–robin does is make young players a little readier for the rigours of the county championship, as well as – more usefully – keeping full–time players busy and fostering a good sense of morale.

But for Scotland to become a force respected by the elite, we need to be channelling specific energies into the twin targets of ODI and Twenty20 cricket, where territorial gains and profitable events are not mere pipe dreams. Now we just need the ICC board to rescue an apparently abandoned vision.

It's the indifference that rankles most. The world is replete with accomplished cricket writers and some have, from time to time, pondered the game's globalisation. Peter Roebuck has recommended that Ireland become the 11th Test nation. Matthew Engel has told Scotland and Ireland they will never be stronger than peripheral English counties.

The truth resides somewhere in between, but at least in these two cases the issue was diligently explored. In recent weeks, since the ICC outlined its regressive determination to shrink the World Cup to an exclusive stature not seen since 1992, misinformation has run wild and none of the top writers has given consideration to the way the reformation of the ODI showpiece will hinder the game's growth.

England is particularly blessed with gifted scribes – they have outnumbered world–class homegrown players for some time now – but their collective output is compromised by the group's eagerness to reach consensus about anything new. And the consensus in this sorry case is that the World Cup would be more interesting without the merest possibility of romantic outcomes.