Calum MacLeod hit the fastest century by a Scotland batsman in ODIs against England in June

Scotland batsman Calum MacLeod recalls hearing the sound of "tumbleweed" the last time his name came up in an auction for an overseas contract.

But the hero of the Saltires' stunning one-day victory over England in June is preparing for the latest chapter in his nomadic career after being drafted for the new Afghanistan Premier League starting next month.

MacLeod's unbeaten 140 for Scotland at The Grange in Edinburgh not only created history but transformed his own career prospects.

He earned a Derbyshire contract for the T20 Blast on the back of it, and will now be taking guard against some of the game's leading T20 lights in the APL.

"I actually missed this draft," the 29-year-old told BBC Scotland. "There's a certain showbiz element to it. Your name flashes up on a screen and it's up to teams to choose to bid or pass on you.

"I didn't want to watch it though, as I'd put myself in for the Bangladesh auction about five years ago, but didn't get drafted. My name flashed up and there was nothing. Just tumbleweed. I promised myself I'd never watch one again.

"To get drafted in now felt like quite a cool moment. I'm not entirely sure what the end figure will be for me but it isn't on the scale of the IPL [Indian Premier League]."

'The crowds and passion are brilliant'

The APL is being played in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, an environment MacLeod knows well from Scotland's regular visits in recent years.

The Glasgow-born batsman will play for Paktia, external-link whose 'icon player' is former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi. His team-mates will include former England players Chris Jordan and Luke Wright.

Other world stars lured to the inaugural APL include West Indies legend Chris Gayle, former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and Afghanistan's own leg-spinner Rashid Khan, the 19-year-old sensation currently ranked the number one T20 bowler in the world. external-link

"Any tournament he goes to, he's really lighting up, bringing stardust to it," MacLeod noted. "There are many others, too, who will bring real credit to the event.

"I know, having been there before, that the crowds and the passion are brilliant. I can't wait to play in that environment, where they're not all cheering against us.

"It's their first year, and it's really exciting to be involved in a tournament of this stature. The way Afghanistan cricket is growing, this event is a real credit to them."

'You're always in the shop window'

MacLeod may not be earning anything like stars such as England's Ben Stokes, who was bought for £1.4m in this year's IPL draft.

But he hopes it will bring more opportunities in a career that started at Drumpellier Cricket Club in Coatbridge and has featured other spells in English county cricket with Warwickshire and Durham, Penrith in Sydney, as well as Moseley, Boldon and Bexley in England's regional leagues before his latest stint at Derbyshire.

"You're always in the shop window, for good and for bad," he added. "The idea is that if you keep performing, you should get more opportunities. It's part and parcel of playing sport.

"With Scotland, those opportunities are limited, so the chance to play in these leagues as a Scotland representative can hopefully help put a marker down for future Scottish players to go and follow suit.

"It will be quite an honour for me."