Kirstie Gordon Prepares for Second T20 World Cup with Scotland
Kirstie Gordon is seated on the steps of the Grange pavilion on a bright afternoon in Edinburgh, reflecting on her earlier experiences as a Scotland cricketer.
At 28 years old, Gordon made a significant decision in 2018 to pursue a full-time career within the English professional cricket system, which required her to relinquish playing for Scotland and declare for England.
Her impressive performances for Loughborough Lightning earned her a call-up to the England squad for the 2018 T20 World Cup. She participated in five matches as England finished as runners-up and later received Test honours against Australia in 2019.
Despite this, Gordon found herself lower in the spinning hierarchy within the England team, and the desire to represent her birth country again grew stronger.
In December of the previous year, she switched her allegiance back to Scotland, facilitated by ECB regulations that now permit Scottish players to compete professionally in England while representing Scotland internationally.
A back injury delayed her return to Scotland's side, but she is now preparing for her second T20 World Cup, which begins with a match against Ireland at Old Trafford on Saturday.
"It feels like it's been a long time coming," she said prior to her first match back, where she took 3-27 in a victory over the Netherlands last month.
"It was on my mind for a long time, a number of years really, just making sure it was the right time and I was ready to make that decision. I definitely feel now is the right time and I can leave that chapter with no regrets.
"It took a while and a lot of chats with [head coach] Craig Wallace. It got to the stage in the middle of 2025 where I was saying to him 'I think I'm ready'. His passion shone through and I thought it was a project I want to be involved in."
Gordon's Early Career and Scotland's Cricket Evolution
Gordon's last appearance wearing the thistle was thought to be against Staffordshire in July 2017, before Scotland had international status in T20 or ODI formats.
At that time, players managed their own travel arrangements, often driving minibuses across England.
As a teenager from Aberdeenshire, Gordon would leave home on a Friday night, catch a bus from Edinburgh on Saturday morning, play on Sunday, and then return north, sometimes missing school on Monday to represent Scotland.
A memorable highlight was celebrating in Coventry after Scotland defeated the Netherlands to win Division Three of the Women's County Championship in 2014.
The landscape of women's cricket in Scotland has transformed significantly since then, with most players now holding contracts with English counties or being centrally contracted by Cricket Scotland. The previous dilemma of choosing between professionalism and national representation, as Gordon faced, no longer exists.
"It's chalk and cheese," Gordon remarked on the changes in Scottish women's cricket.
"The level of professionalism around this group is so good. It's credit to the people around it and the investment made.
"You can tell there's a lot more competition for places. Now we're going to these events, we're not making up the numbers, we're here to compete."
Scotland's Pre-World Cup Success and Team Dynamics
Gordon contributed to Scotland's victory in a pre-World Cup tri-series against Bangladesh and the Netherlands in Edinburgh, which included Scotland's first-ever win against Bangladesh.
Led by captain Kathryn Bryce, the young squad appeared well-coached and cohesive.
"There were a lot of nerves on that first game day," Gordon said after the four matches, which were her first Scotland matches played in Scotland. "My internal anxieties of being back and the pressure I put on myself.
"It's been a great week, great to reconnect with some of my best mates and connect with some new faces for the first time. We're looking forward to getting down the road now and starting at the big event."
Scotland's squad includes promising talents such as Katherine Fraser, Ailsa Lister, and Gabriella Fontenla, supported by the experience of skipper Kathryn Bryce, her sister Sarah Bryce, and Gordon herself.
These three players also compete together for the Blaze in England, and Gordon cited the Bryces' presence and their endorsement of the team culture under coach Wallace as significant factors in her decision to return.
"To be back playing with two of my best mates was a huge driving force," Gordon said.
"We've been friends for so many years and they have been great supporters - not putting too much pressure on it - it's been great to have them by my side throughout."
World Cup Prospects and Key Fixtures
Gordon has one Test match appearance for England in 2019.
Scotland is placed in a group with hosts England, Ireland, defending champions New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and West Indies. The top two teams from the group will advance to the semi-finals.
Following the Edinburgh tri-series, Scotland continued their positive momentum by winning warm-up matches against the Netherlands and Pakistan.
"We know when we play really good cricket, we can beat anybody and challenge anybody," Gordon stated.
"It's about doing these things for long periods and consistently. That's what the best teams in the world do and that's what we need to do if we want to match them."
A particularly notable fixture for Gordon is the match against England at Headingley on 20 June, which presents a traditional rivalry and pits her against former teammates.
"I'm really excited for it," she said. "It will be an interesting day, lots of friends on that team, but when we get out there in the battle it will just be about staying focused and not letting the emotion of the day get ahead of me.
"It's one we've all earmarked - as a group we're so excited to take on some of the best teams in the world, and we really think we can cause some upsets. That's no different against England."
