Yet again at the T20 World Cup, a representative from the Netherlands squad has appealed to the “bigger teams” to create more avenues for their development. The latest individual to echo this sentiment is allrounder Bas de Leede, who specifically called for “more and more opportunities”.
De Leede was not only instrumental in Netherlands’ solitary victory in the tournament—against Namibia, where he contributed an unbeaten 72 runs and claimed 2 for 20—but he also performed admirably throughout. On Wednesday, de Leede crafted a 23-ball 33 from the No. 3 position, but the demand to confront the India spinners aggressively from the start proved to be a formidable task. The Netherlands ultimately fell short by 17 runs.
For de Leede, the key hope was that his teammates had cherished the “once in a lifetime opportunity” to compete before a substantial crowd in Ahmedabad.
“We’ve demonstrated the current standard of Associate cricket; we can only advocate for an increasing number of chances to play against major teams, as this is ultimately how we will collectively advance,” he asserted. “We currently have nothing scheduled until June. Our next series is geared towards World Cup qualification. We’ll have two weeks off, and then training will recommence.”
De Leede was, of course, cognizant of the financial aspects involved and how matches between major teams generate significant revenue. Nevertheless, he expressed his desire that the discussion wouldn’t fade immediately after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup.
“I understand the financial rationale,” he stated. “But perhaps a tri-nation series [involving them and two Full Members] could be a viable option. I recently saw a post about a European T20 series featuring England, Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Italy.
“We witnessed how closely Italy challenged England. So, many possibilities exist. Typically, during a World Cup, this issue gains attention, only to dissipate afterwards. We can only wish this particular World Cup might alter that trend. We’ll observe what unfolds in the coming months.”
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De Leede, like many others, put forward the idea that touring teams heading to England could make a brief stopover for a short series against the European Associates.
“Naturally, given the packed schedules with all the franchise leagues and the ICC FTP, finding a window for extensive series against the top nations can be challenging,” he elaborated. “Yet, one approach is for visiting teams to have the option of playing warm-up matches in the Netherlands and Scotland before proceeding to England. There are ways to navigate this, allowing us to gain exposure against the best teams while they also benefit.”
Last month, de Leede notably declined a county contract to fully commit to the Netherlands squad. This decision highlights the resilience and determination prevalent among Associate nations, with the Netherlands, in particular, standing out as one of the stronger contenders striving to overcome numerous obstacles. These challenges include funding shortages, limited playing opportunities, and inadequate infrastructure—issues that a proposed European T20 League could potentially alleviate to some extent.
For the immediate future, it’s a return to fundamental preparations: more training camps, intensive practice, and strategizing for the upcoming World Cup in Africa.