Nepal is gearing up for a series of exciting cricket events as both the Netherlands and Namibia are set to tour the country for the bilateral ODI and T20I series.
The Netherlands cricket team is gearing up for an exciting series as they get ready to tour Nepal for bilateral ODIs and a T20I tri-series in February and March. The 6 ODIs will be a crucial part of World Cricket League 2. This tour holds great significance as all three participating teams – Netherlands, Namibia, and the host country Nepal – have secured qualification for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the United States and the Caribbean, scheduled for June 2024.
The Netherlands has announced their ODI and T20I squads for the tour, although not at full strength due to player injuries or prior commitments. The cricket board explained that these factors influenced the squad selection.
The T20 World Cup is set to feature 16 teams, with the top 8 teams already earning direct qualification. The remaining eight teams had to go through qualifiers held in Zimbabwe last year to secure their spots. Interestingly, the hosts of the qualifiers, Zimbabwe, were unable to qualify for the prestigious multi-team event.
In a recent announcement, the Netherlands Cricket Board revealed that despite facing challenges such as injuries and other commitments, they are determined to send a 16-man squad led by regular skipper Scott Edwards. Impressively, twelve players from the squad were part of the Netherlands’ historic journey in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, underscoring the team’s experience and depth. However, the absence of key players like Logan van Beek, Colin Ackerman, and Saqib Zulfiqar, for various reasons, could pose challenges for the Dutch side.
The upcoming series will commence with a Tri-Series as part of the CWC League 2, where the Netherlands will compete against hosts Nepal and Namibia. This series is scheduled to take place from February 15th to 25th. Following the conclusion of the CWC League 2 series, the teams will transition into a T20I series. It’s noteworthy that Michael Levitt, Vivian Kingma, Ryan Klein, and Brendon Glover are the four players in the Dutch squad who didn’t feature in the CWC 2023 lineup.
In the ICC World Cup 2023, the Netherlands participated in nine league games, winning two against South Africa and Bangladesh while losing seven. The Dutch team’s journey showcased a mix of victories and challenges.
The last time the Netherlands toured Nepal was in April 2021 for a T20I tri-series that also included Malaysia. Nepal emerged victorious in that series, defeating the Netherlands in the final. Recently, Nepal participated in the T20 World Cup qualifiers, securing qualification and earning their next step in international cricket.
Netherlands ODI squad: Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Noah Croes, Shariz Ahmad, Aryan Dutt, Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards, Michael Levitt, Vivian Kingma, Wesley Barresi, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Roelof van der Merwe, Bas de Leede, Kyle Klein, Olivier Elenbaas
Netherlands T20I squad: Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Noah Croes, Shariz Ahmad, Aryan Dutt, Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards, Michael Levitt, Vivian Kingma, Wesley Barresi, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Roelof van der Merwe, Fred Klaassen, Kyle Klein, Timm van der Gugten, Daniel Doram (reserve player)
Fixture:
February 15 – Nepal vs Namibia ODI
February 17 – Namibia vs Netherlands ODI
February 19 – Nepal vs Netherlands ODI
February 21 – Nambia vs Nepal ODI
February 23 – Netherlands vs Namibia ODI
February 25 – Netherlands vs Nepal ODI
February 27 – Nepal vs Namibia T20I
February 29 – Netherlands vs Namibia T20I
March 1 – Namibia vs Nepal T20I
March 2 – Nepal vs Netherlands T20I
March 3 – Namibia vs Netherlands T20I
March 5 – T20I tri-series final
