Robine Rijke: "We are going to the Global Qualifier to compete"

How did you get in touch with cricket?

My brother started playing football at Quick when he was five. Tip-and-run games were organised for young children. I went there together with my brother and absolutely loved it!

What has helped your development as a player in particular?

I've played abroad for two seasons. First in Australia together with Sterre Kalis and last winter in New Zealand. I gained a lot of new insights from other coaches and players abroad. Everyone plays in his or her own way, which I can get something out of for my own game. Also because of the number of matches on turf I gained a lot of experience. In Australia the standard was very high, I played with girls who played WBBL and now even for the Australian national team.

In New Zealand, in addition to the club competition, I trained with the Canterbury Magicians and had one-on-one bowling sessions from Dayle Hadlee, which really allowed me to make big strides. By living and playing abroad I have gone out of my comfort zone and grown both as a cricketer but also as a person.

Next winter I will be attending an academy in India and plan to play cricket in Australia for a few more months in preparation for the World Cup Qualifier in the UAE.

Who do you talk to the most about cricket?

My teammates from the Dutch national team and Quick are also good friends of mine. Off the pitch everything about cricket is discussed extensively. But I talk to my boyfriend most about cricket, who also plays for Quick.

What's your best cricket memory so far?

One memory is difficult to choose, I have had so many great experiences through the sport. High on the list of great memories are the tours with the Dutch national team abroad. So far we’ve been to Thailand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Spain, Ireland, Scotland and England.

If I have to choose a specific moment now, it has to be the first ODI this summer against Thailand. We had been in Thailand a few months before for a tour where we lost many games. My own achievements weren't to write home about either.

The match I’m referring to now was the first of a busy international cricket summer and we started immediately against such a strong opponent. This time however we had home advantage and that worked out well: we won! I had both my best ODI batting and bowling performances with 83 runs and 3 for 30 in ten overs. Both personally and for the team, this was a really great day and the start of a successful summer of cricket.

What steps can the Netherlands still take on the way to 'the next level'?

We can still take quite a few steps to become more professional. For example, I think a specific batting/ bowling/ fielding coach would help us a lot. This would give us more time to work one-on-one with a coach. I also think that we as a team would benefit a lot from a sports psychologist.

We also need more financial resources to focus on cricket. At the moment everyone has studies and (side) jobs in addition to sports. After players have finished studying, combining top sport with a full-time job is a big challenge and many players quit. I think that’s a shame: the team keeps losing players with skills, years of experience and consistency. In order to move forward, we have to stay together and build with this team.

How do you see the chances of the Netherlands at the Global Qualifier?

We played good and competitive cricket this summer. We won convincingly against countries that are ranked higher than us such as Thailand and Scotland and played close matches against Ireland. About half of our team will be playing cricket abroad this winter. Living and playing cricket abroad is an unforgettable experience that I hope all my teammates will have. In addition, it is great for us as a team that everyone invests in their own cricket and can bring that experience and knowledge to the World Cup Qualifier. We have a team full of talent and skills and we will go to the UAE to compete!