As the Netherlands prepare to take on USA in their third game at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, all-rounder Logan van Beek said it is time for the Oranje to blossom.
CHENNAI, FEB. 12
To break away from “monotonous dressing-room talks” and “boring training sessions”, the Netherlands have developed a tradition of adopting themes for their ICC World Cup campaigns. At the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they stunned South Africa, the theme was ‘Row the Boat and Play with Soul’. At this edition, the Dutch have turned to something closer to home — the tulip, the country’s iconic flower.
As the Netherlands prepare to take on USA in their third game at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, all-rounder Logan van Beek said it is time for the Oranje to blossom.
“The unique thing about a tulip is that there are 15 different varieties and we’ve got a squad of as many players. It’s about the care you put into the soil, the maintenance and the preparation. And, at some point, you want it to bloom. We’re now in blooming season when it comes to this World Cup,” van Beek added.
After almost pulling off an upset over Pakistan in Colombo, the Dutch posted a convincing win over Namibia in New Delhi.
“I would love to be sitting here with two from two and a chance to seal qualification on Friday. But that’s not the reality. What we need to do is put in a strong performance against USA and then go into the India game believing we can do something special,” said van Beek.
Against Namibia, Bas de Leede’s all-round show — an unbeaten 72 and two wickets — guided the Netherlands to a seven-wicket victory. The Dutch are familiar with Chennai conditions, having trained for a week at the Chennai Super Kings Academy last month. USA, meanwhile, pushed India close in Mumbai before being outplayed by Pakistan in Colombo. A third straight defeat on Friday would end their Super 8 hopes. USA have also never beaten the Netherlands in three T20I meetings.
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