Heavyweights miss out as Netherlands name their T20 World Cup 2024 squad
The Netherlands have announced their 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, which begins on June 1 in the West Indies and USA. The Dutch have surprisingly omitted experienced campaigners in Roelof van der Merwe and Colin Ackermann from the squad. Instead, they have selected three young players in Tim Pringle, Kyle Klein, and Michael Levitt.
Levitt notably made a name for himself in the T20 tri-series, slamming 135 off 62 against Namibia, laced with 11 fours and 10 sixes. The right-hander finished the series with a tally of 247 runs in 4 innings, averaging 61.75 and should be a handy addition to the squad.
Keeper-batter Scott Edwards will reprise his role as the skipper of the national men's side, with Bas de Leede and Logan van Beek returning to the squad from the 2023 World Cup in India.
Netherlands squad: Scott Edwards (c, wk), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Daniel Doram, Fred Klaassen, Logan van Beek, Max O'Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Tim Pringle, Vikram Singh, Viv Kingma, Wesley Barresi. Travelling reserve: Kyle Klein.
"We will be determined to rise to the challenges" - Netherlands coach
Netherlands' head coach Ryan Cook reckons the players selected have had widespread experience in recent times and is confident of them adapting to the conditions. As quoted by ICC, he claimed:
"We have been able to select a well-balanced team which we are confident will be able to perform in the conditions against the opposition we face in the US and West Indies."
He continued:
"All of the players have been training well and have been involved in the recent ProSeries with some exciting performances showing the growing depth and quality in Netherlands cricket.
"We have managed to perform admirably in the last two World Cups we have participated in and will be determined to rise to the challenges we face ahead to reach the next round of the tournament."
The Dutch are clubbed with South Africa, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh for the group stage of the upcoming competition.