Netherlands at the 2023 Cricket World Cup: Team Preview

Netherlands put up a spirited show in the World Cup Qualifier to reach the main event. They have a squad ranging from a 20-year-old India-born opening batter to a 38-year-old South Africa-born left-arm spinner. In between, they have the all-round brilliance of Bas de Leede and Logan van Beek, the experience of Scott Edwards and Colin Ackermann, and the collective belief of a team that is out here to have the time of their lives. With not many expectations riding on them, Netherlands might as well cause an upset or two here and there.

Netherlands’ ODI World Cup history

Netherlands’ first World Cup appearance came in 1996. Since then, they have appeared in the 2003, 2007, and 2011 editions, but without much success. From 20 games across four editions, Netherlands have managed only two victories – against Namibia and Scotland. This being a ten-team World Cup, each of the nine teams apart from the Dutch are Test-playing nations. On paper, the road looks tough for them, but on paper, they shouldn’t have made it this far either. Yet, here they are. Who knows what they might pull off at the World Cup.

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Netherlands at the 2023 Cricket World Cup: Full squad

Scott Edwards (c & wk), 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.

Captain: Scott Edwards

Coach: Ryan Cook

Wisden Cricket Monthly’s Most Valuable Player: Scott Edwards

Tonga-born, Australia-raised, and a teak-tough keeper-bat who’s forged a team in his image since taking over the captaincy last year. He first came to prominence for English watchers with a trio of half-centuries against them at Amstelveen in the 2022 summer and he currently averages north of 40, providing the adhesiveness in the middle order around which the strokeplayers are encouraged to express themselves. He will be able to call upon five county cricketers in his squad, with the tall, pacy right-armer Paul van Meekeren the most match-changing bowler in their ranks.

Player to watch: Bas de Leede

Bas de Leede knew what was needed, and what was at stake. Chase down Scotland’s 277 inside 44 overs at Bulawayo, and his country would be at their fourth World Cup. He’d already shot out five Scottish batters with his seamers; now he proceeded to play one of the most gutsy ODI knocks of the century. His 123 from 92 balls marmalised the chase, booked the Netherlands a place at the big show, and made him just the fourth player in ODI history to take a five-for and hit a century in the same game.

Read Bas de Leede’s interview with Wisden Cricket Monthly here.

Netherlands at the 2023 Cricket World Cup: Predicted XI

Vikramjit Singh, Max O’Dowd, Colin Ackerman, Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards (c) (wk), Roelof van der Merwe, Logan Van Beek, Ryan Klein, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren.

Netherlands at the 2023 Cricket World Cup: Full schedule

October 6: Netherlands vs Pakistan, Hyderabad, 2 pm
October 9: Netherlands vs New Zealand, Hyderabad, 2 pm
October 17: Netherlands vs South Africa, Dharamsala, 2 pm
October 21: Netherlands vs Sri Lanka, Lucknow, 10:30 am
October 25: Netherlands vs Australia, Delhi, 2 pm
October 28: Netherlands vs Bangladesh, Kolkata, 2 pm
November 3: Netherlands vs Afghanistan, Lucknow, 2 pm
November 8: Netherlands vs England, Pune, 2 pm
November 12: Netherlands vs India, Bengaluru, 2 pm

A full preview of the 2023 World Cup appears in issue 71 of Wisden Cricket Monthly.