The Netherlands cricket team will head into the ICC World Cup 2023 looking to be positive and play a fearless brand of cricket. Notably, the Dutch finished as the runners-up in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers. They showed a lot of character and steel in that tourney as several players stepped up. The Netherlands finished second in the group stage to qualify for the next round. Most importantly, they beat West Indies in the group. In the Super Six stage, they won two games and lost to SL, showing great determination. In the final, once again, they bowled well but fell short with the bat. Roelof van der Merwe and Colin Ackermann have been included in the Netherlands’ squad as they bring plenty of experience. They weren’t part of the Qualifiers squad.
The Netherlands are a team that will count upon their all-rounders. They deserve every bit of the journey to the World Cup, having won hearts and shown tremendous character. The Dutch, led by Scott Edwards, have some key players who would be raring to have a crack. In 2023, the Netherlands played 13 matches, six, including the Super Over versus WI. However, they lost to superior teams in the form of South Africa and Sri Lanka this year on two occasions each. The Netherlands will aim to at least surprise the big guns with their spirit and perhaps win a game or two.
Here, we analyze the Netherlands’ squad for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
A look at the Netherlands’ 15-member ICC World Cup squad
Netherlands ICC World Cup squad: Scott Edwards (c), Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Vikram Singh, Teja Nidamanuru, Paul van Meekeren, Colin Ackermann, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Wesley Barresi, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, Sybrand Engelbrecht.
A look at the Netherland’s journey in World Cup history
Netherlands made their World Cup debut in 1996, having lost all five matches. They went on to make three successive World Cup appearances from 2003 to 2011. They won one match each in 2003 and 2007. Altogether, they posted 13 defeats across these three editions. The Dutch make a return to the global event after a long gap, having missed out in 2015 and 2019, respectively.
Strengths of the Netherlands cricket team
The Dutch will rely on Vikramjit Singh, Edwards, and Max O’Dowd for comfort with the bat. These three were the top guns in the Qualifiers. Not to forget the presence of Bas de Leede. In 25 matches, Vikramjit has 808 runs at 32.32. Edwards is the top scorer among active players, scoring 1212 runs. O’Dowd is next with 1158 runs. De Leede has decent experience, having scored 765 runs at 27.32. These players make up the component of the Netherlands’ batting.
De Leede will also mark his presence with the ball. He picked 15 scalps at the Qualifiers at just 22.13. He was the 3rd-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Overall, the all-rounder has scalped 29 wickets from 29 matches at 32.08. Wesley Barresi, who is the Netherlands’ fourth-highest scorer in ODIs, brings vitality at number three for the Dutchmen.
Meanwhile, Ackerman and Merwe have plenty of experience in domestic competitions around the world. They will be expected to put in some handy performances.
Among bowlers, Logan van Beek remains the best shot. He has 34 scalps from 24 games at 33.41. He is the fifth-highest wicket-taker for the Dutch. Ryan Klein is a decent performer and can do a good job. De Leede is also a decent customer. Aryan Dutt and Saqib Zulfiqar are the options in spin.
Weaknesses of the Netherlands cricket team
The Netherlands aren’t good players of spin, having struggled against the Lankans in the Qualifiers. This would be an issue at large, given most teams have quality spinners in their ranks. Meanwhile, they also don’t have quality spinners to cause a threat. This is a massive problem for the Dutch.
Also, the Netherlands do not have much experience in ODIs as they don’t play much with the top nations. The Netherlands haven’t played a single ODI since the Qualifiers. So, a dearth of game time has impacted their flow.
Another issue is the batting, having witnessed the same against the Lankans in the Qualifiers on both occasions. The Netherlands cannot afford to get low scores as they don’t have the quality to stop teams. Therefore, it will need to be small steps in the right direction. A win or two will be a massive achievement.
Author’s view: Netherlands will play for pride
Netherlands’ matches against Afghanistan and Bangladesh will be the key ones in which they can seek some sort of confidence in terms of winning matches. In the rest of the games, the Netherlands go in as the second favorites. They will be wanting to make things difficult and not get overplayed. The Netherlands will play for pride and perhaps finish in the bottom two.
Players to watch out for
Bas de Leede is the Netherlands’ main player and the one who can stand out from the rest. Therefore, a lot will rely on him in how he leads the side with his performance and allows the others to feel confident.
Van Beek with the ball will be a crucial factor. He is the top wicket-taker among active Dutch players. His performance with the new ball will be important. The Netherlands need someone like him to set the platform with the ball.
Netherlands Cricket Team World Cup schedule
In this 10-team tourney, all teams will play each other, and the top four reach the semis. Here is the Netherlands’ schedule.
Pakistan vs Netherlands, October 6 (Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad) 2:00 PM
New Zealand vs Netherlands, October 9 (Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad) 2:00 PM
South Africa vs Netherlands, October 17 (HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala) 2:00 PM
Netherlands vs Sri Lanka, October 21 (Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow) 10:30 AM
Australia vs Netherlands, October 25 (Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi) 2:00 PM
Netherlands vs Bangladesh, October 28 (Eden Gardens, Kolkata) 2:00 PM
Netherlands vs Afghanistan, November 3 (Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow) 2:00 PM
England vs Netherlands, November 8 (MCA Stadium, Pune) 2:00 PM
India vs Netherlands, November 12 (Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru) 2:00 PM