The Netherland are preparing for its first appearance in the men’s cricket World Cup in 12 years, and Bas de Leede, a talented all-rounder, is the center of attention.
The 23-year-old stood out against Scotland in the World Cup qualifier, winning Player of the Match honors.
De Leede’s spectacular performance, which ensured the Dutch team’s spot in the World Cup, including a record 123-run innings and a magnificent bowling effort in which he claimed five wickets for just 52 runs.
De Leede is aiming higher as the Dutch team gets ready for their match against Pakistan on October 6 in Hyderabad, which will serve as the tournament’s opening match.
De Leede stated to Wisden that “our goal is to make the semi-finals.” “Others are free to express their opinions on whether they believe that to be practical or not. De Leede was quoted by The Cricketer as saying, “If we play our best cricket, we have a possibility of defeating teams and ideally, we can find ourselves in a position to qualify for the semis.
De Leede is aware of the importance of this World Cup qualifying, especially in light of the country’s limited cricketing capabilities. It’s huge for such a small cricketing nation to compete in a 10-team World Cup, he remarked. The fact that we were one of just 10 teams to advance makes qualification even more remarkable when you consider it in that way.
De Leede feels upbeat about cricket’s future development in the Netherland despite the sport’s current popularity there. Cricket confronts a funding issue with only 6,500 players registered. De Leede, though, thinks that winning the World Cup may alter the situation.
In the Netherlands, it is a specialized sport. There is no escaping that reality. Only 6,500 people in the nation have signed up to play. However, the media became considerably more interested in us once we qualified. We have a lot of room for growth, but we need funding. If we put together a few strong World Cup performances, interest will increase significantly, he continued.
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