Netherlands Cricket Team Keen To Re-Enter County Circuit and Feature in T20 Blast

The Netherlands showed their might in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023. They conquered West Indies and pipped the likes of Zimbabwe and Scotland to qualify for the ODI World 2023, which is slated to kick-start on October 5 in India.  After achieving the feat, they have their eyes pinned on re-entering the English county cricket and feature in the T20 Blast. Netherlands Qualify for ICC World Cup 2023 With Four-Wicket Win Over Scotland in Super Six Match; Bas de Leede Stars With All-Round Performance As Dutchmen Punch Ticket to India

The T20 Blast, whose inaugural season took place in 2003, features some of the top names of the England circuit alongside certain renowned names of the T20 circuit. The high-profile competition is currently an 18-team tournament. However, the future format for domestic competitions from 2025 onwards is yet to be confirmed and thus, the inclusion of more teams is a possibility. Besides the Netherlands, Scotland have also previously shown an interest in entering white-ball county competitions.

Roland Lefebvre, the high-performance manager of the Dutch Cricket Board (KNCB) has stated his willingness to rejoin the county cricket. He has stated that the move could do wonders for cricket in the Netherlands. It will give the Netherlands' domestic players a stage to prove their mettle and improve their game. Moreover, the move will help fix the dearth of fixtures in their international calendar. Thus, the Netherlands hope to be included in any restructuring of the county competitions going forward and are seeking a spot in the T20 Blast and Metro Bank One Day Cup.

The Netherlands’ previous appearance in county cricket was back in 2013. The Dutch Side took part in a 40-over tournament known as Yorkshire Bank 40. However, the Netherlands were not able to have a great showing and faced an early exit from the competition. Nottinghamshire Outlaws were the winners of the 40-over tournament.  Sports News | Vitality T20 Blast: Matt Henry Guides Somerset to First Title Since 2005

Though the Dutch side has featured in Yorkshire Bank 40, they have not made any appearance in T20 Blast yet. However, the Netherlands have recently shown that they are no pushovers anymore and can give full-member nations a run for their money. Thus, their inclusion in county cricket could be a great spectacle for the fans and it would prove to be a driving force in promoting cricket in the Netherlands.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 11, 2023 09:19 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).