MELBOURNE: Netherlands are a fixture at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the famous bright orange shirts will be on show once again in Australia.
Ryan Cook’s side head Down Under in search of a first win in the competition since 2016 having suffered three defeats in Oman last year but they boast a squad packed with quality.
That showed when they swept through July’s high-stakes Qualifier in Zimbabwe, sealing a World Cup spot by beating USA in the semi-finals. What can the Dutch expect from a fourth successive appearance on the biggest stage?
2022 Prospects
Head coach Cook has been able to name a strong 16-man squad ahead of the tournament with an exciting blend of youth and experience. The squad shows some significant changes from the 2021 tournament with 12 survivors from the 16 who featured a year ago.
They have been consistently exposed to the best teams in the world in the 50-over format through the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League and they pushed New Zealand close in the first of two T20 internationals in August, falling short by only 16 runs.
Last year’s World Cup came on the slower, turning pitches of UAE and Oman but the bouncier conditions in Australia are likely to play to their strengths.
Sri Lanka will be favourites to emerge from Group A of the First Round but Netherlands will expect to compete with Namibia and UAE for second in what promises to be a tight battle all the way. (ICC Media)
