"This is a call-out to anyone" - Netherlands coach sends a message to other teams after World Cup 2023 qualification
Netherlands men's team coach Ryan Cook has sent a message to the subcontinent teams ahead of the Cricket World Cup 2023. He openly asked the cricket boards to play a fixture or two against the Men in Orange since the Dutch team has not played much cricket in Asia.
The Cricket World Cup 2023 will be held in India later this year. The Netherlands secured a place in the mega event by finishing runners-up in the recently concluded Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
The Dutch team will have to play against the world's top nine ODI teams in the subcontinental conditions during the Cricket World Cup in October and November. To ensure that his men are well prepared for the mega event, Ryan Cook said in a press conference after the Qualifiers:
"This is a call-out to anyone who wants to play us. We'd love to have a fixture or two. Our guys have not been to the subcontinent many times before so it would be good to have some fixtures somewhere in the subcontinent as well."
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Netherlands have played eight ODI series since June 2021, but the majority of them took place outside Asia. The only Asian team to host them was Afghanistan, who played three ODIs against the Dutch side in Doha in January 2022.
"Here's a full invitation to sponsors" - Netherlands coach urges companies to support the Dutch team financially
Furthermore, the Dutch team's coach Ryan Cook invited companies to sponsor the Men in Orange. The Cricket World Cup 2023 will be one of the most-viewed sports events of the year, which is why Cook urged companies to join them.
"Here's a full invitation to any sponsors out there who feel like being on the front and the side of the shirt in the World Cup," Cook concluded.
Our Coach has an important message to the cricketing community that witnessed in the past few weeks what we are capable of as a team. https://t.co/JzrQ859n6c
It will be interesting to see which teams invite the Dutch to play a series. With the Indian team having a packed schedule, it seems unlikely that the Men in Orange will get to play any ODIs in India before the World Cup.