The World Cup 2023 is a week away. Teams have already named their World Cup squads and are currently making the final touches to their preparations for the multi-nation tournament. The Netherlands qualified for the ODI World Cup in India after beating former two-time champs the West Indies, Scotland, the USA, Oman, and Nepal in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers 2023.
Also Read: ODI World Cup: Team India’s SWOT Analysis, Fixtures – All you need to know
The Men in Orange have had a great outing in ODI cricket this year when compared to their overall 50-over record.
In their 27-year ODI history, they have won just 40 matches and have a 35.08% win percentage. However, the Dutch have won 6 of their 14 ODI games this year and have seen their win percentage go up to 42.85.
Netherlands best performance in ODI World Cup
The Men in Orange produced their best performance in the ODI World Cup in 2007. One of their two World Cup wins came in 2007, when they thumped Scotland, winning the match with 8 wickets in hand and 157 balls to spare. They ended the 2007 World Cup with a win percentage of 33.33%, with their next best performance coming in 2003 when they managed to win just 1 out of their 6 games.
Netherlands performance in 2019 World Cup
Netherlands failed to qualify for the last ODI World Cup in 2019 in England.
Netherlands schedule for World Cup 2023
The Netherlands will begin their World Cup campaign against Pakistan on October 6 in Hyderabad. The Men in Orange will then face last year’s finalists, New Zealand (October 9), at the same venue before travelling to Dharamsala to face South Africa (October 17).
From then on, the Dutch will play at a different venue after a gap of three days between each game.
The biggest challenge for the Men in Orange will come at the fag end of their campaign when they face defending champions England on November 8 in Pune and face hosts India in their 45th and last match of the round robin on November 12 in Bengaluru.
| Match No | Date | Team 1 | Team 2 | Venue | City | Time |
| 2 | October 6 | Pakistan | Netherlands | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad | 2.00 PM |
| 6 | October 9 | New Zealand | Netherlands | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad | 2:00 PM |
| 16 | October 17 | South Africa | Netherlands | Himachal Pradesh Cricket Stadium | Dharamsala | 2:00 PM |
| 21 | October 21 | Sri Lanka | Netherlands | Ekana Stadium | Lucknow | 10:30 AM |
| 27 | October 25 | Australia | Netherlands | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 2:00 PM |
| 32 | October 28 | Bangladesh | Netherlands | Eden Gardens | Kolkata | 2:00 PM |
| 35 | November 3 | Afghanistan | Netherlands | Ekana Stadium | Lucknow | 2:00 PM |
| 40 | November 8 | England | Netherlands | Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium | Pune | 2:00 PM |
| 43 | November 12 | India | Netherlands | M Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | 2:00 PM |
Also Read: ODI World Cup: Pakistan Team’s SWOT Analysis, Key Players & Fixtures
SWOT Analysis:
Strength
The biggest strength of the Netherlands playing XI in the World Cup will be their all-rounders. Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, and Max ODowd are lethal for the Dutch, both with the ball and bat in hand.
Apart from these three, they have Colin Ackermann, Shariz Ahmad, and Roelof van der Merwe, who can be resourceful in both departments.
Vikramjit Singh (bowl) and Logan van Beek (bat) can also be useful as part-time options.
Weakness
The Netherlands is a side that struggles with spin, both with the ball and the bat. In the ICC World Cup Qualifiers 2023, the Men in Orange struggled the most against Sri Lanka and their spinners, losing 11 of their 20 wickets to Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. With the World Cup to be played on spin-friendly Indian pitches, the chances of Dutch batters succeeding look slim.
They have just one main-line spinner in Aryan Dutt, and by adding him to their other two spin bowling options, they have a total of 52 wickets between them.
Opportunities
Scott Edwards, Logan van Beek, and Teja Nidamanuru have ample experience in international cricket. Aryan Dutt, Vikramjit Singh, and Bas de Leede provide the explosiveness to go with the calm and calculated nature of the more experienced trio of the Dutch side.
Also Read: ODI World Cup: South Africa Team’s SWOT Analysis, Key Players & Fixtures
Threats
The Netherlands have nothing to lose. With no expectations of them succeeding, they can cut loose and take down any top side. With little to no information available regarding their players, they can surprise teams on their day and prove to be a dangerous side.
Key Players
Skipper Scott Edwards has led his side from the front and handled the situations well from behind the wickets. Bas de Leede has shown he is the man for big moments, both with the bat and the bowl. Finally, young spinner Aryan Dutt can prove to be quite a handful on spin-friendly Indian pitches.
Netherlands Squad for World Cup 2023
Scott Edwards (c), Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Vikramjit Singh, Teja Nidamanuru, Paul van Meekeren, Colin Ackermann, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Wesley Barresi (wk), Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, Sybrand Engelbrecht.
