Former England one-day international and Yorkshire star Gavin Hamilton has been named as Scotland's new cricket captain.

Earlier this week, Ryan Watson resigned as the Saltires skipper following a 162-run opening Friends Provident Trophy loss against Middlesex.

Watson finally succumbed to public pressure after a disastrous sequence with the bat, scoring just 72 runs in his ten innings during Scotland?s ill-fated 2011 World Cup qualifying campaign in South Africa.

Fraser Watts had looked nailed-on to land the skipper's job on a short-term basis but with his position in the starting XI far from secure, Scottish bosses opted for the experienced Hamilton instead.

Chairman of selectors Iain Kennedy said: "We need someone to steer the side in the short term.

"We have younger guys in mind but there is some tough cricket to be played and we don't want to throw someone in at the deep end that is not ready."

Veteran wicket-keeper Colin Smith is expected to be dropped from a new-look Saltires squad for this weekend's Friends Provident Trophy double header against Warwickshire and Kent.