Scotland will have 10 players on part-time contracts within 15 months if ambitious proposals announced yesterday come to pass.

Cricket Scotland, the sport's governing body, also aims to increase player numbers by 20%, train 700 qualified coaches and improve ground facilities as part of its far-reaching strategic plan entitled On the Front Foot.

Roddy Smith, Cricket Scotland's chief executive, also revealed plans are afoot to introduce a national Twenty20 competition as early as next season.

Expanding upon the four-year plan, he said: "The financial aspect of our business is driven by the national side, and it is imperative that we create the conditions for the senior team to succeed.

"Our ultimate priority is to ensure Scotland reaches the 2011 World Cup and the qualifying event for that is likely to be in the spring of 2009 in Dubai. We have set our sights on having 10 players on part-time contracts by January 2009 so that we can prepare properly.

"It is essential that we put an end to the situation where guys come straight from their jobs to play in an important international cricket match.

"Before last month's one-day international with India, we had Colin Smith doing a shift with Grampian Police and arriving in Glasgow at 10pm the night before the game.

"We also need to develop partnerships with employers so that the guys in full-time employment can get sufficient time off to allow them to pursue their cricket careers without prejudicing either."

He added: "While the national side is a vital part of what we are doing, a healthy domestic structure is equally important. We want to help clubs improve facilities and, to this end, we plan to invest £25,000 per annum from next March."

Clubs will also be rewarded with a one-off payment of £500 for developing new senior Scotland players. The first tangible result of the strategic plan, though, is likely to be the introduction of Scotland's first national Twenty20 tournament.

"We are speaking to a potential sponsor and are very hopeful the new competition will be up and running next season," said Smith. "This is a direct response to the worldwide popularity of the shorter form of the game and we hope it will prove an effective way of attracting new players and spectators to Scottish cricket."

Meanwhile, England are likely to face a Sri Lanka side without prolific off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan in the forthcoming five-match one-day series.

The 35-year-old spinner has been recovering from a bicep injury he sustained earlier this summer which ruled him out of Sri Lanka's challenge for the Twenty20 World Cup.

Yet England, aiming to claim their first one-day series win ever on Sri Lankan soil, are understandably sceptical about reports of Muralitharan's absence and will plan for facing him under the lights at Dambulla.