Alex Salmond has gone in to bat for the Scottish cricket team, urging the BBC to reconsider its decision not to cover their historic clash with England later this year.

The first minister said it was “hugely disappointing” that the BBC intended to snub the event and has urged the corporation to show the match on television.

The encounter at the Grange ground in Edinburgh has been billed already as the most important cricket match on Scottish soil and is expected to draw a sell-out crowd of 6,000.

The International Cricket Council recently approached the BBC but was rebuffed. The corporation said its priority was the Beijing Olympics, which will be taking place at the same time.

Salmond said he would be attending the international in person and wanted it to be broadcast to a wider audience, on both radio and TV.

“It’s an important sporting event in Scotland, and TV and radio should be rising to the occasion. It would be hugely disappointing if it came and went without being broadcast,” he said.

“It should certainly be shown, given the widespread and growing interest in the game in Scotland.”

Salmond’s call follows recent criticism of the BBC for failing to cover two tests by Scotland’s rugby side in Argentina earlier this month. Scotland lost the first match but won a 12-point victory in the second test in Buenos Aires.

The cricket problem also has been raised with BBC Scotland by Margo MacDonald, the independent Lothians MSP and an honorary patron of Edinburgh Cricket Club.

“It’s the first time that the full English squad has played against Scotland,” she said. “The BBC has an obligation as a public service broadcaster. This is an historic, ground-breaking sporting event and so I think they have a duty to cover it.”

MacDonald said she would also be contacting Salmond to discuss ways to put more pressure on BBC Scotland to broadcast the event.

A BBC Scotland spokesman said: “We have been very supportive when it comes to broadcasting cricket, and it is unfortunate that this match has been scheduled in the midst of the Olympic Games.

“ The BBC has a commitment UK-wide to transmitting many hours of Olympics coverage on each day of the event.”

The first minister will hold talks with Rhodri Morgan, the Welsh first minister, this week to seal a joint bid to host the Euro 2016 football championships.

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