3 major weaknesses in the Netherlands' 2023 World Cup squad
The Netherlands stunned one and all by beating West Indies via the Super Over in the 2023 World Cup qualifiers.
The said victory laid down the foundation for a famous Dutch revival as they qualified for the World Cup after beating Oman and Scotland following their triumph over the Windies.
The Netherlands will be participating in the ODI World Cup for the fifth time. In 20 World Cup matches across four editions - 1996, 2003, 2007, and 2011 - the Dutch have won just twice while losing 18 times. The said wins were against Namibia in 2003 and against Scotland in 2007.
The Netherlands failed to win a single game in the 2011 World Cup and thereafter failed to qualify for the 2015 and 2019 editions. Accordingly, it has been more than 16 years since the Dutch won a game in the ODI World Cup.
Their squad for the mega tournament is as follows:
Colin Ackermann, Shariz Ahmad, Wesley Barresi, Bas de Leede, Aryan Dutt, Scott Edwards (capt, wk), Sybrand Engelbrecht, Ryan Klein, Teja Nidamanuru, Max O'Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren, Saqib Zulfiqar.
On that note, let's take a look at the three major weaknesses in the Netherlands' 2023 World Cup squad:
#1 Only two players have played ODIs in India in the past
India is one of the toughest places to play cricket in the world. The pitches here favor spinners and visiting teams are often at the receiving end if they are not used to the conditions.
Out of the 15 members of the Dutch squad, only two have the experience of playing ODI cricket in India. Wesley Barresi played six matches in the 2011 World Cup, out of which five were in India.
Roelof van der Merwe, meanwhile, played a couple of ODIs in India in 2010 while representing South Africa.
No other player from the squad has played ODI cricket in India and the Dutch could struggle in conditions and pitches alien to them.
#2 Inexperienced bowling department
No bowler in the Dutch squad has more than 35 ODI wickets. Logan van Beek is the most successful bowler in the squad with 34 ODI wickets.
The Netherlands have plenty of all-rounders in their ranks but they have failed to create much of an impact with the ball.
Overall, the entire squad has only 156 ODI wickets spread across 13 bowlers. The Dutchmen could find it difficult to contain the opponent batters on flat Indian pitches.
#3 Poor track record against stronger opponents
The Netherlands finished last in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League. Out of 24 matches, they won only three games and lost 20, while one match was washed out.
Two of the three wins were against Ireland and one was against Zimbabwe. The Dutch failed to win a single match against the likes of Pakistan, England, West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand, and Afghanistan.
In the recently concluded ICC Cricket Qualifiers 2023, they lost to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka twice. In the games against the Lankans, the Dutch batters struggled against the likes of Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga, with the spin duo picking up 11 wickets combined in the two matches against the Netherlands.
Overall, the Dutch team lacks international experience and exposure in ODI cricket and could struggle in the upcoming World Cup.