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“It’s the hot question at the moment – how do we
ride this momentum and actually put structures in place in the Netherlands so
that this run that we’re having can be sustainable.”
Logan van Beek, an all-around player for the
Netherlands, is pondering how cricket may develop into a competitive sport in
his nation. Not just one with significant financial backing, which would enable
Netherlands players to practise all year long, but also one that is regarded
seriously by the general public and is not dismissed as a quirky curiosity.
“I watched a Dutch sports show this morning and
they were talking about cricket and laughing about how it’s pretty similar to a
nine-to-five job because of how long it takes, and they were making a few other
jokes,” van Beek said ahead of Netherlands’ next World Cup game, against
Australia. “I hope that after another couple of wins, they can almost stop
joking about cricket in the Netherlands and they start talking seriously about
how this is actually one of our best sports teams in the country.
“So that’s our aim: to inspire the next
generation but also to change the narrative within Netherlands around [how]
we’re actually one of the better Netherlands sporting outfits.”
The Netherlands have already stunned South Africa and
tested Sri Lanka, who had them at 91 for 6 before Sybrand Engelbrecht and van
Beek combined for a 130-run seventh-wicket stand. Sri Lanka struggled mightily
in their pursuit of 263, losing five wickets and reaching their target only in
the penultimate over.
Van Beek, who also plays domestic cricket in England
and New Zealand, anticipated that taking on these teams with significantly
stronger resources will increase the visibility of Dutch cricket and foster
greater professionalism.
“So, there’s the attention we’re getting through
our performances – through the style we’re playing. Hopefully, there’s more
investment into the game from a local point of view, but also international
sponsors want to get behind the Netherlands team,” he said. “And
that’s all going to kind of have a flow-on effect and result in more contracts,
better facilities, more resources, more coaching.
“I look at how New Zealand were 20 years ago.
Professional cricket actually started around 2000. And see where New Zealand
are right now, and the way they play and the way they go about it. We’ve got in
the Netherlands just as many players, and I can’t see why in the next five to
ten years we can start being more consistent on the world stage.”