T20 World Cups: The Netherlands have won more matches in the Men’s T20 World Cups than any other associate nation. Twin victories over England twice, while taking down South Africa and Zimbabwe have underlined their ability to beat top-ranked sides.
But as they gear up to compete in their seventh T20 World Cup, the Netherlands are keen to shed their reputation of being giant-killers and make a serious push to get into the closing stages of the tournament.
Seam-bowling all-rounder Logan Van Beek was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, but holds a Dutch passport through his father, and has been a constant presence in Netherlands set-up since 2014 Men’s T20 World Cup. In an exclusive conversation with IANS, van Beek talks about the Netherlands aspirations in the tournament, preparation, reliance on data analytics and more. Excerpts:
Q. How have you adjusted to the pitches which will be on offer in India and Sri Lanka during the side’s recent camp at Super Kings Academy in Chennai?
A. Yes, it's my first time of actually understanding the difference between red soil, black soil, and then the combo of black and red. They all have differences depending on what time of day you play. If you're playing a morning game, it might be a little bit stickier.
In the afternoon, it’s a little bit drier, and then come the evening, dew might play a factor. It's just trying to understand the different soils and sometimes it dictates what ball you might go to more often in your spell.
Q. Given the Netherlands history of making upsets in recent tournaments, how do you foresee the side’s chances in the mega event?
A. I think the times of upsets is kind of in the past for us. We're here to reach the final stages of the tournament. We've been together as a group for two or three years now. We've won some big games, which has given us confidence. But we're here to get to the final four and see if we can push for the trophy.
Q. Beyond the smaller talent pool, what additional challenges do Associate teams face in competing at this level?
A. Obviously, there's the financial kind of problem that associate teams have, the lack of resources, the lack of extra coaching throughout the season, and the lead-in periods. There's also the number of players that we often have to choose from.
So, you really have to upskill the guys that are in your kind of 20-man squad. But again, it's something that we just have to deal with and get on with it. Our kind of motto is just to try and get as much as we can out of each individual and then come together as one as we walk onto the field.
Q. To what extent does the Netherlands rely on data and analytics in T20 cricket, and how does it shape your preparation?
A. We're a big fan of data analytics. We're not afraid of a long meeting and discussion amongst the group and really understanding what guys are thinking and what each person has seen with the data. We've got a coaching staff who really look into the numbers and try to find that little outlier or something that can give us a slight advantage going into the game.
I think it's something that we need to do as a group, just to have something one-up against the opposition, because when we go up against the likes of Australia, India, New Zealand. Man for man, obviously they're very good cricketers and we need to find ways to find little gaps in their games that we can exploit, or just ways to try and get a little opportunity.
If we can open that up, that doesn't really make sense, but if we can find a way that we can find some information that is unique, use it, and if we can gain that little opportunity to take advantage of and see if we can run with it. T20 cricket is one of those games where there are small advantages. The game can happen very fast, and momentum can shift very quickly. So that's what we're trying to do, is to try and create a moment to try and turn that into momentum.
Q. Having beaten South Africa previously, as well as England and Zimbabwe, what do such victories mean for Associate players like you?
A. First and foremost, it's a great memory. Some of my greatest memories with the Dutch team are beating those top tier nations, and the most enjoyable part of those games is the way that we've gone about it. In preparation, we've stood tall, guys have had special performances within those games, but we've done it as a group.
It's something that we thrive on in terms of being and winning together. So now, going into this tournament, having had those little successes in the past, it's about can we do that in these first four games and try and get those three wins.
Q. You continue to play domestic cricket in New Zealand and England. How does that experience help your own game and in adapting to different conditions?
A. I just love playing cricket all year round. I guess, getting a little bit older, I want to make sure that I'm playing cricket. I don't necessarily want to be indoors training. The more cricket I can play, whether it be New Zealand or England, I just want to make sure that as long as this body is fit, I want to be playing cricket.
It obviously gives you good experiences coming against different types of players, slightly different pitches. It's also exciting because you're trying to evolve your game constantly. Young guys are coming in and doing some really special different things.
It's good to get that experience, and then when you go into tournaments like this, you can rely on that experience. If you see something you can, and you do go well, so I've done well by doing this against this. I'm going to trust that and definitely adds to the toolbox.
Q. The Netherlands will play matches in Colombo, New Delhi, Chennai and Ahmedabad. How significant will it be to adapt to the conditions on offer closer to game days?
A. We've played in Delhi, against Australia (in the 2023 ODI World Cup) and so we know that venue. It's a rapid outfield and quite a small ground. Australia had a bit of a day out that day. But for me, it's exciting. Ahmedabad is a huge stadium. I'm hoping that there's going to be 1,30,000 people there just for that atmosphere against India.
I've never been to Sri Lanka. I've always wanted to play in Colombo. So that's going to be a really cool experience. Then Chennai, I've personally played a game there for New Zealand A. But we've watched plenty of IPL cricket and we've seen the Super Kings do so well there. It's just going to be an awesome experience. Playing cricket in India in general is just an amazing experience - doesn't matter which ground you're at.
Q. You were born and raised in Christchurch but represent the Netherlands through family heritage. How do you balance this dual identity and more importantly, carrying Dutch cricket forward?
A. I am me, really. It's like Logan van Beek is a mixture of being half Dutch. My grandfather's a West Indian from Trinidad and Tobago. I was born and raised in New Zealand. I'm kind of a bit of a mixing pot of different nationalities and that's unique to me. I'm super proud of each and one of those nationalities that I represent.
I've been fortunate enough to play and represent the Netherlands in the last 12 years. It's something that I'm very, very proud of each time I get to do it. It's the main thing - just trying to inspire the next generation of Netherlands cricketers.
If we can throughout this World Cup, get one or two of them watching, seeing how we play together, how much fun we're having and doing some x-factor performances, then hopefully we create some young cricketers who want to pick up a cricket bat instead of a hockey stick.
I've been fortunate enough to play and represent the Netherlands in the last 12 years. It's something that I'm very, very proud of each time I get to do it. It's the main thing - just trying to inspire the next generation of Netherlands cricketers.
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A. It is 100 percent. He's the reason why I play cricket. He taught me how to hold a bat and play the game in the right spirit. He was my biggest fan, and my biggest critic. Every time I play cricket, a lot of the times I'm playing for him. I know that he's up there watching me. But he was a massive influence and I definitely wouldn't be playing cricket if it wasn't for him and his passion for the game.