By Clive Lindsay and John Beattie

Goudie is one of three players given part-time professional contracts

Scotland will double their number of centrally-funded professional players should they qualify for the 2011 World Cup in South Africa.

Three players became centrally-funded part-time professionals in January.

And Cricket Scotland chief executive Roddy Smith said: "We hope, if we qualify, to bring three more in.

"So, if you add in the three or four playing in the English counties, we have nearly got a full team of professional cricketers."

Smith was speaking as sportscotland announced a £415,320 funding boost, which also includes investment in grassroots coaching and five regional academies.

But it is support services for the top players from its high-performance arm, the Scottish Institute of Sport, and the contracts given to Ryan Watson, Dewald Nel and Gordon Goudie that he hopes will bear fruit when Scotland open their qualification campaign against Ireland on 1 April.

"We are fairly confident that the team we have now is the best prepared we have ever had," Smith, who also stressed the importance of International Cricket Council funds, told BBC Scotland.

"The strength and conditioning services this winter have been fantastic and we've noticed a huge difference in the team.

This is such an exciting time for cricket in Scotland Sportscotland chair Louise Martin

"We have guys who have been training 10 to 15 hours a week on top of the professional players here and we're confident it is going to make a big difference.

"We hope, if we qualify, to bring three more in straight away, so we hope to have six on professional contracts and, if you add in the three or four guys playing in the English counties, we have nearly got a full team of professional cricketers."

Watson has lost nearly two stone in weight as a result of the new regime and team-mate Goudie was enthusiastic about the impact on his team-mates and himself.

"It has made a big difference," said Goudie as the Scots prepare to fly to South Africa at the weekend. "It has given us the time to fit in all the training that we need in preparation for the tournament and the coming season.

"We don't have to cram in training sessions around work."

Goudie was confident about Scotland's prospects in South Africa.

"I think our chances are pretty good," he said. "We have worked really hard in the preparation phase and we are just looking forward to getting out there and playing some cricket."

Sportscotland chair Louise Martin thought qualification for the World Cup finals would be just another sign of improvement for the sport in her country.

"This is such an exciting time for cricket in Scotland," she said, making reference to a recent ICC award for best overall cricket development programme.

"Our national team is embarking on its bid to qualify for the 2011 World Cup, Cricket Scotland has recently been recognised for its outstanding development work and the number of young players is on the rise."

In 2008, 18,000 children were introduced to the sport by primary school teachers, an increase of 10% on the 2007 figures.

Sports Minister Shona Robinson, dismissing the view that cricket was still seen as an English sport north of the border, was "astounded" at the statistics and said it justified the increase in government funding.

"It is a sport that is growing and, speaking to the guys, they are confident of doing well in the qualification tournament in South Africa," she said.

The present side will hope to match their 2005 counterparts, who topped their qualifying group, winning all seven matches and securing their place in the 2007 World Cup competition.

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