Scotland cricket chief executive Roddy Smith has just four days to announce a successor to recently deposed Saltires skipper Ryan Watson.

A disastrous recent spell at the helm for Watson came to a premature conclusion last night, with Scotland having failed to qualify for the 2011 World Cup and having crashed to a 162-run opening Friends Provident Trophy loss to Middlesex.

Watson, who is one of only three centrally-contracted Scotland players, will not quit the side and has pledged his support to whoever Smith appoints for this weekend.

Scotland faces a daunting trip to Edgbaston on Sunday to face Warwickshire, before heading to Canterbury to face Kent on Bank Holiday Monday.

Watson, Scotland's second highest run scorer of all time with more than 4,300 runs, had a win percentage of just 21 per cent as skipper, while his predecessor Craig Wright won 35 per cent of the matches in which he led the side.

"We are grateful to Ryan for his time as captain and I think it is a brave decision he has made to go," said Smith.

"But he will remain a valued member of the team because he has shown himself to be our best batsman over the last ten years and we want to see him back at his best."

The national selectors will meet today to discuss Watson's successor.

Watson said: "There are a number of good candidates and whoever gets the job will have my full support.

"It is the right time to make a change at the start of a new four-year cycle leading to another World Cup qualifying tournament."