Photo Credit: Cricket Netherlands
Today it was announced that the Dutch men’s cricket team has won the European Associate Member Men’s Performance of the Year Award. They win the prestigious prize thanks to exceptional performances during the youngest World Cup held in Australia in November 2022. The Orange qualified directly for the World Cup that will be held in the United States and the Caribbean in 2024.
“This is great recognition for the team’s performance throughout the tournament and the growth it has been experiencing since the summer under the leadership of national coach Ryan Cook and his staff. As KNCB, we are very proud of players, coaches and staff”, says Reinout Scholte, board member of the cricket association (KNCB).
In July 2022, the men’s team forced qualification for the T20 World Cup, which took place in Australia in November last year. There, the Netherlands caused an absolute sensation by not only reaching the second round, but also beating the top countries Zimbabwe and South Africa. With these victories, the Orange directly qualified for the World Cup in 2024. Previously, this always had to be enforced through qualifying tournaments.
“The world saw the Netherlands getting better, growing in self-confidence and fighting to the end,” says Roland Lefebvre, High Performance Manager of the cricket association. “Direct qualification for the T20 World Cup in 2024 was the deserved result, which now also leads to this prestigious award.” The Netherlands is also a candidate for the global ICC Development Award, which will be awarded later this year. Other candidates include Namibia, the United Arab Emirates and Japan.
CEO Monica Visser adds: “Dutch cricket is on the rise. The men achieve historic results. The women’s team regained its international (ODI) status in 2022 and can now compete with top countries again. With the support of our sponsors Fairtree for the men and SISAR and HCLTech for the women, we want to continue this upward trend in the future.”
