This is the 5th time that the Netherlands has qualified for the ODI World Cup, with their last appearance being back in 2011. Incidentally, that edition too was co-hosted by India. The Netherlands performances in the previous editions haven’t inspired that much confidence. They managed to win just 2 of the 20 games and on all occasions, finished in the bottom 3rd.
The Netherlands had to take a long route to qualify for this event. After a miserable performance in the Super League cycle, which saw them finish at the bottom of the points table, they had to go through the Qualifier round played earlier this year in Zimbabwe. Their performance there was much better as they finished as the runner-ups.
Batsmen
Vikramjit Singh
Saqib Zulfiqar
Sybrand Engelbrecht
All-rounders
Colin Ackermann
Bas de Leede
Teja Nidamanuru
Shariz Ahmed
Max O’Dowd
Roelof van der Merwe
Wicket-keepers
Scott Edwards (C)
Wesley Barresi
Bowlers
Logan van Beek
Paul van Meekeren
Aryan Dutt
Ryan Klein
Thanks to the various T20 leagues being played around the world, some of the Netherlands’ players have had the opportunity to run shoulders with some of the best international players, which has helped them improve their game.
The Netherlands have some talented all-rounders who can be their biggest strength. Roelof van der Merwe and Colin Ackermann were absent from the team during the Qualifiers’ return to the fold, boosting the team’s middle-order batting. Max O’Dowd and Vikramjit Singh have done well at the top of the order.
The pace attack will be another strength for the Dutch. Bas de Leede, Logan van Beek, and Paul van Meekeren have done well in the T20 leagues and are in good form.
The biggest weakness for the Netherlands will be their lack of experience at the big stage. Barring Wesley Barresi, none of the players from the current squad have played an ODI World Cup before and it remains to be seen how they perform under the pressure of a world event.
Another potential weakness will be the lack of a quality spin bowler and that can be a big drawback on Indian pitches. Aryan Dutt is the lone specialist spinner, who doesn’t have much experience of playing in India
They will need the all-rounders Colin Ackermann and van der Merwe to deliver with the ball.
The hard facts are that the Netherlands is just not in the same league as the other teams. We do not see them winning a single match in this edition of the World Cup. It would be a massive upset if they even manage to win a single one.
6-10-23 Netherlands vs Pakistan Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad
9-10-23 Netherlands vs New Zealand Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad
17-10-23 Netherlands vs South Africa HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala
21-10-23 Netherlands vs Sri Lanka Ekana Stadium, Lucknow
25-10-23 Netherlands vs Australia Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
28-10-23 Netherlands vs Bangladesh Eden Gardens, Kolkata
3-11-23 Netherlands vs Afghanistan Ekana Stadium, Lucknow
8-11-23 Netherlands vs England MCA Stadium, Pune
12-11-23 Netherlands vs India M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
We don’t think the Netherlands will be at home in any of the venues in India. They put out a plea for warm-up matches or practice matches on social media, are recruiting local bowlers to get used to facing spin, and have very little experience in their individual capacity as players as well.
There is no way to sugarcoat it. The Netherlands will be like a fish out of water while playing in India.
There are no updates regarding injuries from the Netherlands squad
Top run-scorer in 2023
Max O’Dowd is the leading run-scorer for the Netherlands this year. He has scored 503 runs at an average of 38.69.
Top wicket-taker in 2023
Bas de Leede is the leading wicket-taker from the squad. He has picked up 15 wickets in 7 matches at an impressive strike rate of 23.46.
Most runs: Scott Edwards
We are backing the Netherlands skipper to score the most runs for them in this tournament. He led his team from the front during the Qualifiers and ended up as the top-scorer for the team with 314 runs at an excellent average of 62.80.
Most wickets: Bas de Leede
Bas de Leede is likely to pick up the most wickets for the Netherlands. He is in excellent form with the ball this year and featuring in leagues like the ILT20 has helped him improve his bowling skills. In the absence of a quality spinner, de Leede has a good chance of topping the bowling charts.
