Preview Afghanistan v Netherlands with national men's coach Ryan Campbell
Published at 20 January, 2022On January 21, 23 and 25 The Netherlands will play three One Day Internationals against Afghanistan in Doha, Qatar. Due to covid rules and regulations the players and staff had to travel early in order to meet with the quarantine requirements. An interview with the national mens team coach, Ryan Campbell.
Have you been able to prepare yourselves well for the ODIs against Afghanistan?
“It has been a tough lead up with Covid making it very tough for our training group. A number of players had it and the rest were doing everything that they could to avoid catching it. In Qatar unfortunately it rained for our first couple of days of practice. This however has not dampened our spirits and the lads have trained really well.”
Which players do you miss?
“We are without a number of our senior players unfortunately, this is due to a number of different reasons. The biggest losses are Max O’Dowd and Ben Cooper as they are our senior top order batsmen.”
Have there been any other changes?
“Yes, we have had a number of changes from South Africa with Asad Zulfiqar, Philippe Boissevain and Ryan Klein all coming into the squad.”
What are your expectations?
“Afghanistan possess some of the best spin bowlers in World Cricket and to play them in the middle east will be one of our greatest challenges but a challenge that we are all looking forward to. We will blood a number of youngsters to give them opportunities as their future is extremely important to Dutch cricket.”
How do you rate the Netherlands’ chances to qualify for the 2023 World Cup?
“I think direct qualification to the World Cup would be extremely tough but we will give it our best. With the Super League being scrapped from 2023, we must make the most of this year, especially when we bring England, the West Indies and Pakistan to the Netherlands. It will be a great chance for our players to shine and also a great chance for the cricketing public of Holland to see some of the greatest players in the world live.”
Who are your key players?
“I feel Scott Edwards, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann and Pieter Seelaar hold the keys to our batting fortunes. They must play well for us to achieve a score big enough to compete. On a bowling front I’m looking forward to seeing Philippe Boissevainin action as well as Viv Kingma with the new ball.”
The schedule:
- Friday, 21 January at 08:00 (CET):
1st ODI (CWCSL) Afghanistan v Netherlands
- Sunday, 23 January at 08:00 (CET):
2nd ODI (CWCSL) Afghanistan v Netherlands
- Tuesday, 25 January at 08:00 (CET):
3rd ODI (CWCSL) Afghanistan v Netherlands
The Dutch squad for the CWC Super League series in Doha:
Pieter Seelaar (VOC) (Captain), Colin Ackermann (Leicestershire County CC), Scott Edwards (VOC), Brandon Glover (Northamptonshire County CC), Fred Klaassen (Kent County CC), Ryan Klein (HBS), Boris Gorlee (HCC), Clayton Floyd (HCC), Musa Nadeem Ahmad (HCC), Saqib Zulfiqar (Punjab CCR), Asad Zulfiqar (Punjab CCR), Bas de Leede (VCC), Vivian Kingma (VCC), Aryan Dutt (VCC), Phillipe Boissevain (VCC)
Thirteen teams participate in the Super League: twelve full members and the Netherlands. The top 8 (including hosts India) will qualify directly for the 2023 Cricket World Cup. As it stands, the bottom five will play a qualifier in 2023.
Photo Getty
