What a journey it was for the Netherlands international side! Having been around the circuit since ages, they’ve never really been able to do justice to the kind of potential they have. That of course, was only until October/November 2019 where they proved to the world that the Dutch team is one on a mission.
They came into the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019 as one of the favourites and were flawless right through. Apart from a single loss in the group stage, they were unbeaten and ended the tournament on 2nd November with a 7-wicket victory against Papua New Guinea in the final in Dubai. Ages since we first saw this team in orange playing, this was their first stamp of authority on international cricket.
“A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader; a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.”
These were the wise words of Eleanor Roosevelt and in this recent qualifying tournament in UAE, it was captain Pieter Seelaar 🇳🇱 who turned out to be the best possible leader for the Dutch team. Every member of that squad contributed to their success but it was the skipper who made sure the team was glued together, playing and delivering like a unit.
Pieter Seelaar social profiles 🌐:
With more than 100 international games under his belt, Seelaar is one of their most experienced cricketers, bagging 7 wickets and scoring 112 runs in 9 games in that tournament. It’s been nearly 6 months since that spectacular victory in UAE, and Read Scoops caught up with Captain Seelaar for an exclusive chat on that tournament and how Netherlands plans on taking on the World Cup in Australia later this year!
Hi Pieter. Prior to the Qualifier, Netherlands didn’t have the best results. What would you say inspired this recent success?
“To be honest, it was just the art of keeping it simple. We had many discussions leading up to the tournament, but in the end we came up with the best gameplan for the conditions in Dubai. Hit the top of the stumps with the ball, and with the bat it was a matter of getting yourself in and having wickets in hand.”
According to you, who were the most valuable players in your team in that tournament?
“Let me start by saying that every player had contributed in some sort of way. Our fast bowlers were brilliant throughout the tournament. Roelof van de Merwe was always involved, with either bat, ball or in the field. And Ben Cooper and Ryan ten Doeschate were consistent with the bat.”
What was the mood in the camp when Netherlands secured a flight to Australia? How does it feel leading such a confident team?
“At first it was more relief than happiness, that came after a few hours. We celebrated accordingly, but were then focussed on our other goal, that was winning the tournament. Having so many quality cricketers to choose from and to feed knowledge from is invaluable as captain. I think we had our gameplan and roles defined nicely by the time the tournament started. We set ourselves a good standard, but if we want to succeed in Australia, we need to be 10-20% better.”
What added preparations will go in from today till the main stop in Australia?
“I don’t think too much will change. One thing was important to us, to have that extended time (tournament in Oman) to get used to conditions. And if we play quality cricket over the course of our summer, it should get us in good shape for the World Cup later in the year. However, it all now depends on the COVID-19 situation.”
What are your personal and team expectations for that major ICC tournament in Australia?
“With the squad we have got, I think we can be a good cricket team in all sorts of conditions. We are definitely going to look to qualify for the Super 12 stage of the tournament, which in my opinion is a realistic goal. Personally I’d like to lead a disciplined and quality Dutch outfit, that will represent our country well, that shows the world how good we truly are.”
It was a pleasure talking to Pieter and on a parting note, he said, “I think we were the best team at the tournament in UAE, with one bad game in the group stages vs PNG. We did it with smile on our face and enjoyed our company together, which shows how strong the team spirit is (after having a tough time in the lead up). We are a team to look out for in Australia.”
Netherlands is clearly a team that can cause a few upsets when they’re in Australia but so much depends on the entire coronavirus situation, which is causing almost every sporting event in the world to be cancelled or postponed. Regardless, I wish Pieter Seelaar and his entire team the best of luck for the T20 World Cup in Australia, whenever it does end up taking place!
– Dwayne Fernandes, Read Scoops
(Twitter – @dwayneeeboy, Instagram – @dwayneeeboy)
