Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to the Netherlands' big upset over South Africa ft. Wasim Akram and Simon Doull
The Netherlands caused a major upset in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup by defeating South Africa by 38 runs at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Tuesday.
Curtailed to being a 43-overs-a-side affair owing to rain earlier in the day, the Dutch ran up a score of 245-8 in their innings thanks mainly to skipper Scott Edwards' unbeaten 78.
When they walked out to bowl, they managed to skittle their opponents- a much-vaunted batting lineup- for 207 with one ball still left for the innings to get over. The Dutch were ecstatic after the win, and understandably so.
They have now become the first non-Test playing nation to have beaten South Africa. This was also the Netherlands' first victory against a Test-playing nation in an ODI other than Zimbabwe, Ireland and the West Indies.
A lot of people were excited about the Dutch victory, and in this listicle, we bring to you the top five reactions from experts across the world:
#1. "South Africa's confidence will be shattered" - Wasim Akram
Pakistan legend Wasim Akram was one of the first to congratulate the Netherlands for their spectacular victory over South Africa.
Although he harped on the fact that the Proteas were lacking in several departments, he also said that it did not take anything away from the Dutch.
Akram was also seen berating the bowling coaches of teams across the world for encouraging their wards to bowl slower deliveries to tailenders.
He felt that Gerald Coetzee's bowling off-cutters at the death (which were of course hammered out of the park) were what led to the momentum shifting to the Dutch.
"This is definitely the biggest upset for me in the history of the World Cup. We can say a lot of things about South Africa- their captain is out of touch and their bowling was very ordinary in the last ten overs- but the Netherlands deserve this victory. I think South Africa's confidence will be shattered at the moment," Akram said on the Pakistani sports channel A Sports.
"Credit has to be given to the Dutch for the way they approached the game. Their thinktank did a very good job, and I am extremely pleased to see them achieve this victory. The South Africans will be hurting right now, but they have to recover quickly from this loss," he added.
#2. "Afghanistan have shown the way for other teams" - Irfan Pathan
Former India fast bowler Irfan Pathan was quite vocal in his appreciation for the Dutch as they showcased how they could come up trumps against a much-vaunted South African side.
Pathan, who was renowned for swinging the ball both ways, spoke of how strong the Dutch seemed and how well they used the momentum that came their way.
"The Netherlands did extremely well, and although they beat my favourite team in this World Cup, South Africa, I am very pleased for them. They showcased why they can truly count themselves to be amongst the best in the business," Pathan said in a video on YouTube.
"Captain Scott Edwards was the real star for the Netherlands. He batted well till the end of the innings, bringing all the momentum to the Dutch. On the field, he used spinners against Quinton de Kock, which was a brave move. However, it showed that he had done his homework regarding the matchups. I think Afghanistan has shown the way to other teams and inspired them to push their limits. I am very happy for the Netherlands," he added.
#3. "The competition has officially kicked off" - Jhulan Goswami
Former India fast bowler Jhulan Goswami also heralded the Netherlands' victory over South Africa. She was elated by how an Associate nation managed to beat a Test-playing nation, and that too one as vaunted as South Africa.
The tall seamer, who played in 204 WODIs and 68 WT20Is along with 12 WTests for India, applauded the Dutch for their tenacity and spoke of how important it was for a team to play as a unit.
"Today, the Netherlands spoke the language of teamwork, determination, and victory. The competition has officially kicked off," wrote Goswami on X.
#4. "South Africa have to be honest with themselves" - Deep Dasgupta
Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta seemed surprised while trying to register the Netherlands' victory over South Africa.
Although he seemed to concentrate more on how the Proteas could cope with this result, he did heap a lot of praise on the Dutch.
Dasgupta, who played in eight Tests and five ODIs for India, said that it will be tough for South Africa to get their morale back after such a disastrous performance, but they will have to do so as quickly as possible.
"(If it were me) I would want to forget about this like I would a nightmare but it is not easy. South Africa have to look at a few things that they did wrong there. They were put under pressure by the Netherlands on quite a few occasions- at first with the ball and then with the bat in hand," Dasgupta told ESPN Cricinfo.
"South Africa have to look at it objectively and work out what they could have done better. They have to be honest with themselves, and that is the only way to go about it. There will be some baggage for them, but they have to come out of it quickly. They will be put under pressure by the other teams in this World Cup, who will use this game as a reference," he added.
#5. "Scott Edwards read the game extremely well" - Simon Doull
Media personality and TV commentator Simon Doull, who played in 32 Tests and 42 ODIs for New Zealand, waxed lyrical about the way the Dutch managed to upstage South Africa and eke out a positive result for themselves.
Doull, who will always be remembered for the 7-65 he picked up against India in the Boxing Day Test in 1998, praised the Netherlands' skipper Scott Edwards, both for his batting as well as his leadership skills. Edwards impressed Doull with his tactical nous too.
"I think Scott Edwards read the game extremely well. He batted well too, picking up singles and rotating the strike. He is always known to be a busy player and he showed it yesterday. Even on the field, his captaincy skills really stood out. To bring Aryan Dutt on with the new ball was a terrific decision. He managed to get rid of the dangerous Quinton de Kock," Doull said to Cricbuzz.
Throughout the game, it seemed as if in some way or the other, Edwards' decisions were paying off. The Dutch bowlers impressed a lot. Paul van Meekeren stood out- he has been a journeyman cricketer, so to speak- and this is a game that he will remember for the rest of his life," Doull added.